Atomic chlorine is an important chemical species in plasma processing of silicon and III–V compound semiconductors. Two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been used to measure the relative atomic chlorine density in an inductively driven, rf discharge in chlorine gas. The Cl density in the center of the discharge was independent of rf power in the range of 150–400 W and increased a factor of 2 when the pressure was increased from 15 to 50 mTorr. LIF measurements performed on both levels of the chlorine spin-split ground state indicate similar trends for both energy levels in the inductive plasma mode. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.