We review the distribution of the Ornate Hawk-eagle, Spizaetus ornatus (Daudin, 1800), in the state of São Paulo, reporting localities with records of the species. Most locations where the species has been historically documented have no recent records, especially to the west of the large remnants of forest in the coastal mountain ranges. Most current records come from Serra de Paranapiacaba, southwestern São Paulo, whereas no records exist within the Cerrado domain. Unlike the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, where it is found in fragmented landscapes, in São Paulo, the species occurs exclusively within protected areas in large blocks of Atlantic Forest.