A considerable depolarization current was observed in rutile single crystals. It was ascribed to electronstrapped at the positive electrode in levels which probably exist only in superficial layers of the crystal. Thecharge piled up corresponds to, at minimum,1014/cm2elementary chargese. The dependence of the depolarizationcurrent on the depolarization time,I ∼ 1/t, could be explained by assuming that the time dependenceis governed by the probability of electron transitions from traps to the conduction band and these under theinfluence of the strong electric field of the space charge.Assuming that there are also1014/cm2ionized donors at the negative electrode, the observed current-voltagecharacteristics in thin flakes can be explained by taking into account that this gives rise to a field ofthe order of106 V/cmat the negative electrode. Electrons then can enter the crystal by field emission fromthe negative electrode, but the current will be space-charge-limited in the bulk of the crystal. This explainsthe observedI ∼ V2dependence.