The strain SRL8, which could decolorize the azo dye disperse orange S-RL (S-RL), was first isolated from sludge and identified as Acinetobacter sp. through physiobiochemical identification and 16S rRNA gene sequences. The effects of temperature, pH, dye concentration, O2, and glucose concentration on S-RL decolorization by the strain SRL8 were studied. The optimal conditions were 30 °C, pH 7.0, 4g·L(-1) of inoculation (wet cells), and microaerophilic incubation. The decolorization percentage for S-RL by the strain SRL8 could reach 90.2% under optimal conditions. The strain SRL8 was highly tolerant to the azo dye SRL up to 300 mg·L(-1) and it had a broad decolorizing spectrum. According to the Monod equation, kinetic parameters of decolorization by SRL8 were calculated. The vmax and Km were 5.57×10(-3) h(-1) and 14.53 mg·L(-1), respectively.