A shielding part is formed on a detection part in a particulate matter detection element. The detection part has a pair of detection electrodes formed in a comb structure. A shielding layer is made of heat insulating material and formed on the detection part in order to shield a predetermined area having non-uniform electric field intensity. An area having uniform electric field intensity on the detection part is exposed only to exhaust gas as target detection gas when a predetermined voltage is supplied between the detection electrodes in order to detect electric characteristics of the detection part. This structure prevents the area other than the area having the uniform electric field intensity on the detection part from being exposed to the exhaust gas.