The invention provides scanning type visibility laser radar. A switching power supply is respectively connected with a processor, a laser power supply, a detector and a door control card. The door control card is respectively connected with a laser, a single photon counting card, the detector and the processor. The processor is connected with the door control card and the single photon counting card. The laser power supply is connected with the laser. The detector is connected with the single photon counting card and the door control card. A scanning rotary device is connected on the non-light-path side of the laser and the detector so as to drive the laser, a beam expander, the detector and a telescope to integrally rotate, or the scanning rotary device is arranged on the light path side of the beam expander and the telescope, and light beams are incident into the scanning head of a scanning selection device and then the light beams are enabled to rotate. Accurate measurement of the uneven atmospheric visibility can be realized through detection analysis of the backward light scattering process generated by the mutual effect between the atmospheric particulates and the laser, and the measurement result is not influenced by mist cloud, smoke or other weather conditions.