There is disclosed a process for the purification of long chain amino acids by recrystallization in an aqueous solution of organic carboxylic acid in the absence or presence of solvent, comprising: (1) dissolving a long chain amino acid in an aqueous solution of organic carboxylic acid by heating; (2) cooling the solution of step (1) to crystallize the long chain amino acid; and (3) recovering the long chain amino acid of step (2) by means of solid-liquid separation.