Plasmids were isolated from 15 tetracycline (Tc) resistant S. aureus. Two small tetracycline resistance plasmids, pKH16 and pKH17, have been isolated from Staphylococcus aureus JY10 and Staphylococcus aureus JY22, respectively and the complete nucleotide sequences of those plasmids have been determined. pKH16 consisted of 4,442 bp and showed high identity to pKH6 (99% matching percentage) isolated in 1989 from S. aureus SA2. pKH17 consisted of 4,441 bp and showed less identity to pKH6 (95% matching percentage) than pKH16. PCR analysis showed that tetK and tetM did not exist in ten large plasmids isolated from ten Tc resistant S. aureus. Twelve Tc resistant S. aureus showed reistance both to Tc and Mn and we might analogize that twelve Tc resistant S. aureus had tetM in their chromosome.