A take-off control apparatus and method is provided for a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission having an apply element that is applied when the vehicle takes off from a standstill, which executes a neutral control that releases the apply element when the automatic transmission is in a forward-drive range and the vehicle is stopped with a predetermined condition being satisfied, and executes a neutral cancellation control that cancels the neutral control when a different predetermined condition is satisfied. The take-off control apparatus and method detects an engine speed and calculates an apply hydraulic pressure of the apply element during cancellation of the neutral control based on a fluctuation in the engine speed.