Cerium and nitrogen codoped TiO2 photocatalysts were successfully prepared by sol-gel method. The results showed that Ce doped in TiO2 could prevent phase transition of anatase to rutile and inhibit the growth of crystallite. In addition, Ce and N codoped in TiO2 enhanced the lattice distortion. N-Ti bond and N-Ti-O bond were formed in codoped titania, which narrowed the energy gap and extended the absorption edge to the visible light range, and the synergistic effects of the Ce and N codoped samples made the red shift more distinct. The results showed that the rate of hydrogen production was the best for the sample prepared under the conditions of the content of Ce doped for 0.6% ( molar ratio) and calcination temperature of photocatalyst preparation at 500 degrees C.