This paper proposes an observation model for a particle filter-based localization using a sonar grid map. The proposed model estimates a predicted observation by considering the properties of a sonar sensor which has a large angular uncertainty. The proposed model searches a grid which has the highest probability to reflect a sonar beam using the following procedures; (1) the reliable area of a single sonar data is determined using the footprint association model; (2) the detection probability of each grid cell in a sonar beam coverage in estimated. The proposed model was applied to the particle filter based localization, and was verified by experiments in indoor environments.