An object of the invention is to provide a component mounting apparatus which includes a plurality of substrate conveying lanes and which efficiently controls the order of carrying in of substrates, thereby capable of improving productivity, and also is to provide a substrate conveyance method in the component mounting apparatus. In a configuration which includes: component supplying units (20A, 20B) positioned lateral to conveyor lines including conveyors (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) arranged in parallel; and a substrate distributing unit (M3B) configured to distribute substrates (13) delivered from an upstream apparatus, in the case where a substrate request signal (R) is output from conveyors (10B, 10C) which are farther from the component supplying units (20A, 20B), when the substrate request signal R is output for a conveyor (10D) which is closer to the component supplying unit (20b) prior to start of a transferring work of the new substrate (13), the new substrate (13) is carried into the conveyor (10D). Therefore, a substrate can be preferentially carried into conveyors which are more advantageous in component mounting efficiency.