Provided is an apparatus and a method for inspecting a cloth piece, by which dirt and a tear can be reliably distinguished. The apparatus for inspecting a cloth piece includes: a first inspection camera 41 for picking up an image of reflected light from a cloth piece T passing through the dark color section 21; and a second inspection camera 42 for picking up an image of transmitted light through the cloth piece T passing through the transparent section 22. The dirt and the tear can be reliably distinguished by determining an area where the reflected light and transmitted light are both darker than a surrounding area to be dirt and by determining an area where the reflected light is darker than the surrounding area and the transmitted light is brighter than the surrounding area to be the tear.