The invention provides a steering control apparatus that more adequately detects a driver's operating state. A steered-angle command value calculation circuit calculates a steered-angle command value by adding a steering torque to a first assist component that is a sum of a basic assist control amount, a hysteresis control amount and a damping control amount. A steered-angle feedback control circuit calculates a second assist component by angle feedback control based on the steered-angle command value. A compensation control circuit generates the hysteresis control amount and the damping control amount based on a determination flag generated by a hand release determination circuit and indicating whether or not the steering state corresponds to a hand release state. The hand release determination circuit determines whether or not the steering state corresponds to the hand release state based on signs of a steering angle calculated by a steering-angle calculation circuit, a steering angular velocity that is a differential value of the steering angle, and a steering angle acceleration.