diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
index 264f5a9175a..9b312ca2f9f 100644
--- a/doc/api/index.rst
+++ b/doc/api/index.rst
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Plotting map elements
     Figure.inset
     Figure.legend
     Figure.logo
+    Figure.scalebar
     Figure.solar
     Figure.text
     Figure.timestamp
diff --git a/pygmt/figure.py b/pygmt/figure.py
index 56ad2c3d5cf..3c48080c482 100644
--- a/pygmt/figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/figure.py
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ def _repr_html_(self) -> str:
         plot3d,
         psconvert,
         rose,
+        scalebar,
         set_panel,
         shift_origin,
         solar,
diff --git a/pygmt/src/__init__.py b/pygmt/src/__init__.py
index 8905124f917..2aa4e6b5587 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/__init__.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/__init__.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 from pygmt.src.project import project
 from pygmt.src.psconvert import psconvert
 from pygmt.src.rose import rose
+from pygmt.src.scalebar import scalebar
 from pygmt.src.select import select
 from pygmt.src.shift_origin import shift_origin
 from pygmt.src.solar import solar
diff --git a/pygmt/src/scalebar.py b/pygmt/src/scalebar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f6e54f646ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/src/scalebar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+"""
+scalebar - Add a scale bar.
+"""
+
+from collections.abc import Sequence
+from typing import Literal
+
+from pygmt.alias import Alias, AliasSystem
+from pygmt.clib import Session
+from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
+from pygmt.helpers import build_arg_list, fmt_docstring
+from pygmt.params import Box, Position
+
+__doctest_skip__ = ["scalebar"]
+
+
+@fmt_docstring
+def scalebar(  # noqa: PLR0913
+    self,
+    position: Position | None = None,
+    length: float | str | None = None,
+    height: float | str | None = None,
+    scale_position: float | Sequence[float] | bool = False,
+    label: str | bool = False,
+    label_alignment: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"] | None = None,
+    unit: bool = False,
+    fancy: bool = False,
+    vertical: bool = False,
+    box: Box | bool = False,
+    verbose: Literal["quiet", "error", "warning", "timing", "info", "compat", "debug"]
+    | bool = False,
+    panel: int | Sequence[int] | bool = False,
+    transparency: float | None = None,
+    perspective: float | Sequence[float] | str | bool = False,
+):
+    """
+    Add a scale bar on the map.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    position
+        Specify the location of the scale bar. See :class:`pygmt.params.Position` for
+        more details.
+    length
+        Length of the scale bar in km. Append a suffix to specify different units. Valid
+        units are: **e**: meters; **f**: feet; **k**: kilometers; **M**: statute mile;
+        **n**: nautical miles; **u**: US Survey foot.
+    height
+        Height of the scale bar. Only works when ``fancy=True``. [Default is ``"5p"``].
+    scale_position
+        Specify the location where on a geographic map the scale applies. It can be:
+
+        - *slat*: Map scale is calculated for latitude *slat*
+        - (*slon*, *slat*): Map scale is calculated for latitude *slat* and longitude
+          *slon*, which is useful for oblique projections.
+        - ``True``: Map scale is calculated for the middle of the map.
+        - ``False``: Default to the location of the reference point.
+    label
+        Text string to use as the scale bar label. If ``False``, no label is drawn. If
+        ``True``, the distance unit provided in the ``length`` parameter (default is km)
+        is used as the label. This parameter requires ``fancy=True``.
+    label_alignment
+        Alignment of the scale bar label. Choose from ``"left"``, ``"right"``,
+        ``"top"``, or ``"bottom"``. [Default is ``"top"``].
+    fancy
+        If ``True``, draw a "fancy" scale bar, which is a segmented bar with alternating
+        black and white rectangles. If ``False``, draw a plain scale bar.
+    unit
+        If ``True``, append the unit to all distance annotations along the scale. For a
+        plain scale, this will instead select the unit to be appended to the distance
+        length. The unit is determined from the suffix in the ``length`` or defaults to
+        ``"km"``.
+    vertical
+        If ``True``, plot a vertical rather than a horizontal Cartesian scale.
+    box
+        Draw a background box behind the directional rose. If set to ``True``, a simple
+        rectangular box is drawn using :gmt-term:`MAP_FRAME_PEN`. To customize the box
+        appearance, pass a :class:`pygmt.params.Box` object to control style, fill, pen,
+        and other box properties.
+    $perspective
+    $verbose
+    $transparency
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> import pygmt
+    >>> from pygmt.params import Box, Position
+    >>> fig = pygmt.Figure()
+    >>> fig.basemap(region=[0, 80, -30, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    >>> fig.scalebar(
+    ...     position=Position((10, 10), cstype="mapcoords"),
+    ...     length=1000,
+    ...     fancy=True,
+    ...     label="Scale",
+    ...     unit=True,
+    ... )
+    >>> fig.show()
+    """
+    self._activate_figure()
+
+    if position is None:
+        msg = "Parameter 'position' must be specified."
+        raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
+    if length is None:
+        msg = "Parameter 'length' must be specified."
+        raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
+
+    aliasdict = AliasSystem(
+        F=Alias(box, name="box"),
+        L=[
+            Alias(position, name="position"),
+            Alias(length, name="length", prefix="+w"),
+            Alias(
+                label_alignment,
+                name="label_alignment",
+                prefix="+a",
+                mapping={"left": "l", "right": "r", "top": "t", "bottom": "b"},
+            ),
+            Alias(scale_position, name="scale_position", prefix="+c", sep="/", size=2),
+            Alias(fancy, name="fancy", prefix="+f"),
+            Alias(label, name="label", prefix="+l"),
+            Alias(unit, name="unit", prefix="+u"),
+            Alias(vertical, name="vertical", prefix="+v"),
+        ],
+    ).add_common(
+        V=verbose,
+        c=panel,
+        p=perspective,
+        t=transparency,
+    )
+
+    confdict = {}
+    if height is not None:
+        confdict["MAP_SCALE_HEIGHT"] = height
+
+    with Session() as lib:
+        lib.call_module(
+            module="basemap", args=build_arg_list(aliasdict, confdict=confdict)
+        )
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar.png.dvc b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar.png.dvc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cd1b775689d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar.png.dvc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+outs:
+- md5: 0bc967a510306086752fae3b556cc7e2
+  size: 10201
+  hash: md5
+  path: test_scalebar.png
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_cartesian.png.dvc b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_cartesian.png.dvc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d01ea6cca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_cartesian.png.dvc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+outs:
+- md5: e09a7c67f6146530ea594694853b6f98
+  size: 6508
+  hash: md5
+  path: test_scalebar_cartesian.png
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_complete.png.dvc b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_complete.png.dvc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4ac6b71bb99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_scalebar_complete.png.dvc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+outs:
+- md5: c018b219d3ebc719fb1b1686e074dcd9
+  size: 11749
+  hash: md5
+  path: test_scalebar_complete.png
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_scalebar.py b/pygmt/tests/test_scalebar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..827d0f4330d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_scalebar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+"""
+Test Figure.scalebar.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+from pygmt import Figure
+from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
+from pygmt.params import Position
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_scalebar():
+    """
+    Create a map with a scale bar.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[100, 120, 20, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    fig.scalebar(position=Position((118, 22), cstype="mapcoords"), length=200)
+    return fig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_scalebar_complete():
+    """
+    Test all parameters of scalebar.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[100, 120, 20, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    fig.scalebar(
+        position=Position((110, 22), cstype="mapcoords"),
+        length=1000,
+        height="10p",
+        fancy=True,
+        label="Scale",
+        label_alignment="left",
+        scale_position=(110, 25),
+        unit=True,
+        box=True,
+    )
+    return fig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_scalebar_cartesian():
+    """
+    Test scale bar in Cartesian coordinates.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[0, 10, 0, 5], projection="X10c/5c", frame=True)
+    fig.scalebar(position=Position((2, 1), cstype="mapcoords"), length=1)
+    fig.scalebar(position=Position((4, 1), cstype="mapcoords"), length=1, vertical=True)
+    return fig
+
+
+def test_scalebar_no_position():
+    """
+    Test that an error is raised when position is not provided.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[100, 120, 20, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
+        fig.scalebar(length=200)
+
+
+def test_scalebar_no_length():
+    """
+    Test that an error is raised when length is not provided.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[100, 120, 20, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
+        fig.scalebar(position=Position((118, 22), cstype="mapcoords"))