Embodiments of the present invention provide an access control method and apparatus. The method includes: generating, by a network device, an access control message that includes an access control parameter, where the access control message is used to instruct user equipment to determine, according to the access control parameter after receiving the access control message, whether to initiate access, and the access control parameter includes an access control parameter based on a traffic class or an access control parameter based on an access class; and sending, by the network device, the access control message to the UE. The technical solutions of the present invention may reduce a signaling burden on a network and may enable the network device to provide more precise and flexible control of the UE.