The switching time jitter is one of the important properties one has to consider when selecting the closing switch for a pulsed-power system, and the most time-precise triggering can be achieved by the use of lasers1. For a mid-gap laser-triggered spark gap, three different physical mechanisms can be used: nonresonant multiphoton ionization, resonant-enhanced multiphoton ionization and electron tunneling. The first one is traditionally used, whereas the latter two are more exploratory. In this work, the traditional method is employed to study the delay time and time jitter of a laser-triggered spark gap using a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm and 532 nm, where the laser pulse is guided via an optical fibre to the spark gap2; the laser pulse energy and the applied voltage have been varied for different working gases. One draw-back of the current laser triggering technology compared to electrical triggering is that the system is more complex and prone to electromagnetic interference. Another downside is that the pulse-repetition rate is poor. A discussion about the development of lasers to overcome these issues is included, together with a deliberation about the pros and cons of the two exploratory methods of laser triggering.