An apparatus and method for managing control authority transition in a vehicle are provided. The apparatus includes a steering device, an acceleration device, a deceleration device, a sensor configured to sense information about a driver of the vehicle, and a control circuit electrically connected with the steering device, the acceleration device, the deceleration device, and the sensor. The control circuit is configured to obtain state information about the driver using the sensor when performing an autonomous control, to receive a control input by the driver to at least one of the steering device, the acceleration device, or the deceleration device, to determine whether to transfer a control authority based on the state information and a reliability of the control input, and to transferthe control authority to the driver when the control authority is determined to transfer.