The present invention relates to an active scanning method and apparatus. The method of performing scanning in a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes: a step of a scanning station generating scan request information so as to order active scanning; a step of the scanning station receiving a scanning frame from the station; and a step of the scanning station transmitting a probe request frame in order to perform the active scanning in case the received scanning frame does not include any of the elements that are ordered in the scan request information. Accordingly, scanning procedures can be performed quickly.