The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates beyond 4th-generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). A method and user equipment (UE) for transmitting and receiving discovery information in a wireless communication system supporting a proximity service are provided. The method for transmitting discovery information includes receiving, in a medium access control (MAC) layer, discovery information for discovery associated with the proximity service from a higher layer, generating, in the MAC layer, a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) including the received discovery information, and transmitting, in a physical (PHY) layer, a discovery signal including the generated MAC PDU.