In an exhaust emission control system for a vehicular internal combustion engine, a particulate filter collects particulate matters in an exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. A filter regenerator regenerates the particulate filter by burning the particulate matters accumulated in the particulate filter. A filter front clogging detector determines whether a front end portion of the particulate filter is clogged by the particulate matters. A filter regeneration controller that controls the filter regenerator to perform a front regeneration to remove the particulate matters accumulated in the front end portion of the particulate filter when the filter front clogging detector determines that the front end portion of the particulate filter is clogged.