Fluorescence decay profiles of single DNA molecules complexed with ethidium bromides in polymer were measured by time-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy. In contrast to other single-molecule fluorescence data reported previously, they all exhibit high nonexponentiality that can be analyzed by employing the stretched exponential function. The Kohlrausch beta-tau(K) distributions for individual DNA-dye molecules and their physical significance are presented in the first time. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.