diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
index 7828a225652..830ddad82e1 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 474cd91179b..64b13663a83 100644
--- a/pygmt/figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/figure.py
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ 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..a5980d932f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/src/scalebar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+"""
+scalebar - Add a scale bar.
+"""
+
+from collections.abc import Sequence
+from typing import Literal
+
+from pygmt._typing import AnchorCode
+from pygmt.alias import Alias, AliasSystem
+from pygmt.clib import Session
+from pygmt.helpers import build_arg_list
+
+
+def scalebar(  # noqa: PLR0913
+    self,
+    position,
+    length,
+    position_type: Literal[
+        "mapcoords",
+        "boxcoords",
+        "plotcoords",
+        "inside",
+        "outside",
+    ] = "mapcoords",
+    label_alignment: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"] | None = None,
+    scale_position=None,
+    justify: AnchorCode | None = None,
+    anchor_offset: Sequence[float | str] | None = None,
+    label: str | bool = False,
+    fancy: bool = False,
+    unit: bool = False,
+    vertical: bool = False,
+    box=None,
+):
+    """
+    Add a scale bar.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    position/position_type
+        Location of the map scale bar. The actual meaning of this parameter depends
+        on the ``position_type`` parameter.
+        - ``position_type="mapcoords"``: *position* is given as (x, y) in user
+          coordinates.
+        - ``position_type="boxcoords"``: *position* is given as (nx, ny) in normalized
+          coordinates, where (0, 0) is the lower-left corner and (1, 1) is the
+          upper-right corner of the plot.
+        - ``position_type="plotcoords"``: *position* is given as (x, y) in plot
+          coordinates, i.e., the distances in inches, centimeters, or points from the
+          lower left plot origin.
+        - ``position_type="inside"``: *position* is given as a two-character
+          justification code, meaning the anchor point of the rose is inside the plot
+          bounding box.
+        - ``position_type="outside"``: *position* is given as a two-character
+          justification code, but the rose is outside the plot bounding box.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    TODO
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> import pygmt
+    >>> from pygmt.params import Box
+    >>> fig = pygmt.Figure()
+    >>> fig.basemap(region=[0, 80, -30, 30], projection="M10c", frame=True)
+    >>> fig.scalebar(
+    ...     position=(10, 10),
+    ...     position_type="mapcoords",
+    ...     length=1000,
+    ...     fancy=True,
+    ...     label="Scale",
+    ...     unit=True,
+    ... )
+    >>> fig.show()
+    """
+    self._preprocess()
+
+    aliasdict = AliasSystem(
+        L=[
+            Alias(
+                position_type,
+                name="position_type",
+                mapping={
+                    "mapcoords": "g",
+                    "boxcoords": "n",
+                    "plotcoords": "x",
+                    "inside": "j",
+                    "outside": "J",
+                },
+            ),
+            Alias(position, name="position", sep="/", size=2),
+            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="/"),
+            Alias(fancy, name="fancy", prefix="+f"),
+            Alias(justify, name="justify", prefix="+j"),
+            Alias(label, name="label", prefix="+l"),
+            Alias(
+                anchor_offset, name="anchor_offset", prefix="+o", sep="/", size=[1, 2]
+            ),
+            Alias(unit, name="unit", prefix="+u"),
+            Alias(vertical, name="vertical", prefix="+v"),
+        ],
+        F=Alias(box, name="box"),
+    )
+
+    with Session() as lib:
+        lib.call_module(module="basemap", args=build_arg_list(aliasdict))