The photodissociation of trifluoroacetyl chloride is examined by time-resolved IR and UV spectroscopy. These show that CF3C(O)Cl --> CF3 + CO + Cl is the major dissociation pathway at both 193 and 248 nm. This pathway appears to proceed via a primary C-Cl bond fission leaving an internally excited CF3CO fragment that rapidly dissociates. At 193 nm the CO is formed with extensive internal excitation (T-vib = 3800 +/- 900 K), whereas at 248 nm it is formed predominantly in v = 0. The photolysis yield is Phi(193) = 1.01 +/-, 0.11 at 193 nm. At 248 nm the overall yield is Phi(248) = 0.92 +/- 0.08; however, about 14% of the CF3CO fragment remains intact.