This invention provides a hydrogen producing apparatus (100) comprising a desulfurizer (4) containing a desulfurizing agent for adsorbing and removing a sulfur compound contained in a starting material, a reformer (1) containing a reforming catalyst for producing a hydrogen-containing gas from the starting material, a combustor (5) for heating the reformer (1), and an igniter (103) for igniting the starting material in the combustor (5). The hydrogen producing apparatus (100) is constructed so as to start combustion in the combustor (5)using the starting material passed through the desulfurizer (4) and is provided with an upper limit changer (8) for changing the upper limit of the ignition confirmation time in the igniter (103) and a change instruction acquisition apparatus (101) for obtaining the signal associated with the change instruction.