The present invention provides a method of producing an optical element the haze of which is efficiently reduced and an apparatus for producing the optical element. An optical element which includes a base material having light transmittance and a functional layer containing a functional substance and laminated on the surface of the base material, in which the state of light passing through the functional layer is changed in accordance with the functional substance, and the haze of which is efficiently reduced is provided by means of a method of producing the optical element including: a coating step of coating the surface of the base material with a functional layer composition liquid containing the functional substance to form a coating film; a baking step of baking the base material having the coating film formed on its surface to form the functional layer in which a functional layer-covering layer is formed to cover the functional layer and a light diffusion layer for diffusing light that has passed through the functional layer is formed in a direction from the surface layer of the functional layer-covering layer toward an interface between the functional layer-covering layer and the functional layer; and a covering layer removing step of removing at least the light diffusion layer out of the functional layer-covering layer to be formed in the baking step.