In order to reduce operating voltage of the GaN based blue-violet laser diodes, the effect of highly Mg doped GaN layer, which was grown below ohmic contact metals, on contact resistivity as well as operating voltage has been investigated. The addition of the highly Mg doped GaN layer greatly reduced contact resistivity of Pd/Pt/Au ohmic contacts from $5.2 imes {10}^-2 Omegaㆍ$ extrm{cm}^2$ to 7.5 imes {10}^-4 Omegaㆍ$ extrm{cm}^2$$</TEX>. In addition, it also decreased device voltage at 20 mA by more than 3 V. Temperature- dependent sheet resistivity of the highly Mg doped GaN layer suggested that the reduction of the contact resistivity could be attributed to predominant current flow at the interface between the Pd/Pt/Au contacts and p-GaN through a deep level defect band, rather than the valence band.