Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic forming process of the micro dent fabricated by laser shock processing on 2024-T3 aluminum alloy. The effect of laser pluse energy on the deformation of micro dent was also discussed in detail. Design/methodology/approach It uses finite element analysis method and the corresponding laser shocking experiment. Findings The results demonstrate that the dynamic formation process of micro dent lasts longer in comparison with the shock wave loading time, and the depths of micro dents increase with the increasing laser energy. In addition, laser shocking with higher energy can result in more obvious pileup occurred at the outer edge of micro dent. Originality/value Surface micro dents can serve as fluid reservoirs and traps of the wear debris, which can decrease the effects of the wear and friction in rolling and sliding interfaces. The investigations can not only be propitious to comprehensively understand the forming mechanism of laser-shocked dent, but also be beneficial to get sight into the residual stress field induced by laser shocking.