AbstractSignificant progress has been made in the study of contact mechanics of engineering surfaces, particularly layered surfaces, in the past decade. This mainly involves the removal of the assumptions in the Hertztheory. The application of numerical techniques including the integral transform and finite element methods has successfully solved many contact problems which are difficult with analytical solutions. The present paper reviews the recent developments in contactmechanics of engineering surfaces, with emphasis on the layered surfaces where a coating or several coatings with varying mechanical properties are produced on top of the substrate by means of surface engineering. The developments in non-layered contact theories are first briefly discussed, followed by detailed discussion of the layered surface contact theories which have been developed on this basis. Finally, further work which is needed in the near future concerning layered surface contacts is proposed.