Bacteria strains with Cr (Ⅵ) tolerant capacity were isolated from chromium_contaminated tannery sludge and the Cr (Ⅵ) removal characteristics of these isolates were studied. Twenty strains with the Cr (Ⅵ) removal efficiency greater than 50% under the condition of 50 mg/L Cr (Ⅵ) were obtained. These strains were closely related to species in the genera Acinetobacter, Microbacterium, Leucobacter, Ochrobactrum and Brachymonas by their 16S rRNA gene sequences. The effects of growth phase, pH and Cr (Ⅵ) concentration on the Cr (Ⅵ) reducing capacity for seven isolates were investigated. Cells with high activity showed higher Cr (Ⅵ) removal efficiency. pH affected the Cr (Ⅵ) removal capacity of these strains remarkably. The Cr (Ⅵ) removal efficiencies of strain No. 16 and No. 21, closely related to the species in the genus Microbacterium, were over 80% at the pH of 7～8 under the condition of 50 mg/L of Cr (Ⅵ). High concentration of Cr (Ⅵ) repressed the Cr (Ⅵ) removal capacity. However, strain No.21 showed a removal efficiency of about 80% when the initial Cr (Ⅵ) concentration was 110 mg/L.