The infrared absorption spectrum of the ν3 fundamental band of the CD3 radical has been detected by diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The CD3 radical was produced by excimer laser photolysis of CD3I at 248 nm or (CD3)2CO at 193 nm. Molecular parameters of the v3=1 vibrational state were determined from a least-squares fit to 62 rotation–vibration transitions. In this fit, molecular parameters describing the ground state were constrained to those obtained from previous spectroscopic studies of the ν2 parallel IR band [J. M. Frye, T. J. Sears, and D. Leitner, J. Chem. Phys. 88, 5300 (1988)]. The molecular parameters determined in the present work are the band origin ν0=2381.088 60(84), B′=4.758 737(40), C′=2.373 297(34), (ζC)3=0.476 278(72), q3=0.003 76(59), D′N =0.000 187 9(5), DNK =−0.000 341 0(12), D′K =0.000 143 7(8), ηN =−0.000 005 5(36), η′K =0.000 060(35), and qN =0.000 063(17), all in cm−1 with one standard deviation in parentheses. The derived molecular parameters were compared with those for the CH3 radical v3=1 level determined previously [T. Amano, P. Bernath, C. Yamada, Y. Endo, and E. Hirota, J. Chem. Phys. 77, 5284 (1982)]. The molecular parameters of the v3=1 state of the CD3 and CH3 radicals follow the expected isotopic relationships. We have also found that the determined molecular parameters reasonably satisfy the approximate planarity relationships [J. K. G. Watson, J. Mol. Spectrsoc. 65, 123 (1977)] and the sign of the l-type doubling constant is consistent with a planar equilibrium structure.