Renal cell carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors in genitourinary cancer. 20%-30% of patients have distant metastases. However, current biomarkers used for diagnosis, recurrence monitoring, and prognosis assessment are still uncertain. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that are detached from the primary tumor or metastases, and invade and presenting in peripheral blood vessels. Therefore, CTCs is regarded as a key step in the process of tumor metastasis. However, current studies on CTCs of renal cell carcinoma are facing with problems such as inconsistent detection methods and limited clinical applications. This article reviews the progress in the detection and clinical application of CTCs of renal cell carcinoma.