Sensor feedback for process control is one of the essential elements is an automated deburring procedure. This paper presents the implementation of acoustic emission (AE), which has been developed as a feedback sensing technique for precision (mechanical) deburring, in a precision laser deburring process. AE signals were sampled for laser machining/deburring under various experimental conditions and analyzed using several signal-processing methods including AErms and spectral analysis. The results, such as the sensitivity of AE signals for different laser cutting depths, edge detection capability and the frequency analysis show a clear correlation between physical process parameters and the AE signals. A subsequent control strategy for deburring automation is also briefly discussed.