Available evidence linking serum uric acid (SUA) and bone mineral density (BMD) remains controversial, and data on this association are limited among adult men in the general population. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of SUA with lumbar spine BMD in US adult males. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999–2006) database. Multivariate linear regression analyses were employed to assess the association of SUA with lumbar spine BMD, considering complex survey design and sampling weights. Through rigorous eligibility criteria, a total of 6704 individuals were yielded for final data analysis (average age, 40.5 years; 70.6% white). After fully adjusting potential confounders, no associations were detected between SUA and lumbar spine BMD [β (95% confidence interval, CI), − 0.003 (− 0.007, 0.002)]. Additionally, similar results were observed in all stratification analyses, and no interactions were found based on all priori specifications. In brief, our findings did not provide an inspiring clue for the hypothesis that SUA may be beneficial to lumbar spine BMD. Future more prospective studies are needed to further explore the causal relationship of SUA with lumbar spine BMD.