Recent studies have shown that single-stranded DNA adsorbed onto graphene oxide is protected from DNase I cleavage. However, double-stranded DNA bound to graphene oxide and could be digested by DNase I. To elucidate whether single-stranded DNA is protect from DNase I in the presence of graphene oxide, this study conducted DNase I digestion using single-stranded DNA and single-stranded DNA containing the duplex region in the presence of graphene oxide. Addition of DNase I resulted in restoration of the fluorescence emission that had been quenched when DNA was adsorbed to graphene oxide. It indicates that DNase I cleaved the adsorbed single-stranded DNA onto graphene oxide, which was sufficient for the detection of DNase I activity.