Abstract: A postbuckling analysis is presented for a shear deformable laminated cylindrical panel of finite length subjected to lateral pressure. The governing equations are based on Reddy's higher order shear deformation shell theory with von Kármán-Donnell-type of kinematic nonlinearity. The nonlinear prebuckling deformations and initial geometric imperfections of the panel are both taken into account. A boundary layer theory of shell buckling, which includes the effects of nonlinear prebuckling deformations, large deflections in the postbuckling range, and initial geometric imperfections of the shell, is extended to the case of shear deformable laminated cylindrical panels under lateral pressure. A singular perturbation technique is employed to determine the buckling loads and postbuckling equilibrium paths. The numerical illustrations concern the postbuckling response of perfect and imperfect, moderately thick, cross-ply laminated cylindrical panels. The effects played by transverse shear deformation, panel geometric parameters, total number of plies, fiber orientation, and initial geometric imperfections are studied.