Transient absorption (TA) spectra and optical density relaxation kinetics in SrTiO 3 (STO), STO–Nb and STO–V were studied. The electron polaron free or bound at intrinsic defect is suggested to be responsible for the TA band at ∼1.4 eV observed in STO. The band peaking below 0.75 eV in STO–Nb is proposed to be from Nb 4+. The electron center V 3+ or electron polaron bound in the vicinity of V 4+ is responsible for the absorption band at 1.0 eV in STO–V. The absorption from hole polarons is suggested to be in the range 1.8–2.3 eV. It is shown that TA in pure STO at room temperature decays due to electron–hole polaron recombination.