Hydrogen is one of the most promising energy and the fuel for fuel-cell-powered automobiles. Liquid fuels have been considered as the most suitable source for onboard hydrogen production, and cold plasma is proved to be a potential way to convert them. In this review, the conversion of methanol, ethanol and dimethyl ether (DME) using different types of cold plasma has been summarized. Hydrogen is the main product with different by-products depending on reaction conditions. The conversion of liquid fuels for hydrogen production via cold plasma has good prospects, and reaction conditions optimization and reactor design are very important for its future application onboard. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.