Despite increasing evidence for the role of the chemokine system in leukocyte trafficking, the mechanism underlying the induction of chemokine receptors is poorly understood. Here, we investigated how CCR5, a chemokine receptor implicated in T cell migration to inflammatory sites, is induced in the T cell. CCR5 mRNA was hardly detected in resting T cells and marginally induced following T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. However, TCR‐triggered T cells expressed IL‐12 receptor, and stimulation with recombinant IL‐12 resulted in high levels of CCR5 expression on both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. In contrast, IL‐2 failed to up‐regulate CCR5 expression. The effect of IL‐12 was selective to CCR5 because IL‐12 did not up‐regulate CXCR3 expression. Surface expression of CCR5 was shown by staining with anti‐CCR5 monoclonal antibody. Stimulation of these CCR5‐positive T cells with the relevant chemokine MIP‐1α elicited Ca²⁺ influx, showing that IL‐12‐induced CCR5 is functional. These results indicate a critical role for IL‐12 in the induction of CCR5 on TCR‐triggered T cells.