A method and apparatus for Data Plane Delay KPI Monitoring in a live network is disclosed for measuring node delays in a manner that allows latency to be apportioned to network elements. The method and apparatus for Data Plane Delay KPI Monitoring in a live network includes establishing a call session, propagating a probe session commencement indicator, capturing timestamps for incoming and outgoing packets associated with the call session at the network nodes, propagating a probe session stop indicator which causes the network nodes to cease collecting timestamps and then transmitting the timestamps to a Network Management System.