A disclosed vertical cavity surface emitting laser element includes a substrate, a laminated body sandwiching a semiconductor active layer with an upper reflecting mirror and a lower reflecting mirror, a lower electrode, and an upper electrode. The laser element emits laser light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate when an electric current is supplied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. The laser element further includes a selective oxidation layer in the upper reflecting mirror having a current blocking structure made of an oxidized region and an unoxidized region, and a detectable portion formed on a side surface of a mesa structure shaped by the upper reflecting mirror including the selective oxidation layer and the active layer, thereby enabling detecting the position of the selective oxidation layer from a top of the laminated body in a depth direction of the laminated body.