diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
index 7bb7f310a3..3429a93aa7 100644
--- a/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ esphome/components/display_menu_base/* @numo68
 esphome/components/dlms_meter/* @latonita @PolarGoose @SimonFischer04 @Tomer27cz
 esphome/components/dps310/* @kbx81
 esphome/components/ds1307/* @badbadc0ffee
+esphome/components/ds1603l/* @JakeLC15
 esphome/components/ds2484/* @mrk-its
 esphome/components/ds248x/* @tomwellnitz
 esphome/components/dsmr/* @glmnet @PolarGoose
diff --git a/esphome/components/ds1603l/__init__.py b/esphome/components/ds1603l/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.cpp b/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0b0ef8175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#include "ds1603l.h"
+
+#include <cstring>
+
+#include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+#include "esphome/core/log.h"
+
+namespace esphome::ds1603l {
+
+static const char *const TAG = "ds1603l.sensor";
+
+void DS1603L::loop() {
+  // Assemble frames one byte at a time so a stream that starts mid-frame can realign
+  uint8_t byte;
+  while (this->available() > 0 && this->read_byte(&byte)) {
+    if (this->rx_count_ == 0 && byte != HEADER_BYTE) {
+      ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Skipping byte 0x%02X while looking for header", byte);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    this->rx_buffer_[this->rx_count_++] = byte;
+    if (this->rx_count_ < FRAME_SIZE) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (this->parse_data_()) {
+      this->rx_count_ = 0;
+    } else {
+      // The header byte was part of the payload of a misaligned frame, so realign instead of dropping everything
+      this->resync_();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+void DS1603L::dump_config() { LOG_SENSOR("", "DS1603L", this); }
+
+bool DS1603L::parse_data_() {
+  uint8_t header = this->rx_buffer_[0];
+  uint8_t data_h = this->rx_buffer_[1];
+  uint8_t data_l = this->rx_buffer_[2];
+  uint8_t checksum = this->rx_buffer_[3];
+
+  uint8_t computed_checksum = (header + data_h + data_l) & 0xFF;
+
+  ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Data: Header=0x%02X, Data_H=0x%02X, Data_L=0x%02X, Checksum=0x%02X", header, data_h, data_l, checksum);
+
+  if (checksum != computed_checksum) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Checksum mismatch: received 0x%02X, expected 0x%02X", checksum, computed_checksum);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  this->publish_state(encode_uint16(data_h, data_l));
+  return true;
+}
+
+void DS1603L::resync_() {
+  // Drop the byte that was treated as the header, then look for the next candidate header in what is left
+  size_t start = 1;
+  while (start < this->rx_count_ && this->rx_buffer_[start] != HEADER_BYTE) {
+    start++;
+  }
+  this->rx_count_ -= start;
+  if (this->rx_count_ > 0) {
+    memmove(this->rx_buffer_, this->rx_buffer_ + start, this->rx_count_);
+  }
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome::ds1603l
diff --git a/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.h b/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9041681f5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/ds1603l/ds1603l.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <cstdint>
+
+#include "esphome/components/sensor/sensor.h"
+#include "esphome/components/uart/uart.h"
+#include "esphome/core/component.h"
+
+namespace esphome::ds1603l {
+
+class DS1603L final : public sensor::Sensor, public Component, public uart::UARTDevice {
+ public:
+  void loop() override;
+  void dump_config() override;
+
+ protected:
+  static constexpr uint8_t HEADER_BYTE = 0xFF;
+  static constexpr size_t FRAME_SIZE = 4;
+
+  // Validates the checksum of the frame in rx_buffer_ and publishes it. Returns false if the frame is invalid.
+  bool parse_data_();
+  // Drops the first buffered byte and realigns the buffer on the next possible header byte.
+  void resync_();
+
+  uint8_t rx_buffer_[FRAME_SIZE];  // Buffer for the frame being assembled
+  size_t rx_count_{0};             // Number of bytes currently in rx_buffer_
+};
+
+}  // namespace esphome::ds1603l
diff --git a/esphome/components/ds1603l/sensor.py b/esphome/components/ds1603l/sensor.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c4f117c603
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/ds1603l/sensor.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import esphome.codegen as cg
+from esphome.components import sensor, uart
+import esphome.config_validation as cv
+from esphome.const import (
+    DEVICE_CLASS_DISTANCE,
+    STATE_CLASS_MEASUREMENT,
+    UNIT_MILLIMETER,
+)
+from esphome.types import ConfigType
+
+CODEOWNERS = ["@JakeLC15"]
+DEPENDENCIES = ["uart"]
+
+ds1603l_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("ds1603l")
+DS1603L = ds1603l_ns.class_("DS1603L", sensor.Sensor, cg.Component, uart.UARTDevice)
+
+
+CONFIG_SCHEMA = (
+    sensor.sensor_schema(
+        DS1603L,
+        unit_of_measurement=UNIT_MILLIMETER,
+        accuracy_decimals=0,
+        device_class=DEVICE_CLASS_DISTANCE,
+        state_class=STATE_CLASS_MEASUREMENT,
+    )
+    .extend(uart.UART_DEVICE_SCHEMA)
+    .extend(cv.COMPONENT_SCHEMA)
+)
+
+FINAL_VALIDATE_SCHEMA = uart.final_validate_device_schema(
+    "ds1603l",
+    baud_rate=9600,
+    require_tx=False,
+    require_rx=True,
+    data_bits=8,
+    stop_bits=1,
+)
+
+
+async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
+    var = await sensor.new_sensor(config)
+    await cg.register_component(var, config)
+    await uart.register_uart_device(var, config)
diff --git a/tests/components/ds1603l/common.yaml b/tests/components/ds1603l/common.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d47ef1b610
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/ds1603l/common.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+sensor:
+  - platform: ds1603l
+    name: ds1603l Distance
diff --git a/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp32-idf.yaml b/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp32-idf.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..544827f577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp32-idf.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+substitutions:
+  tx_pin: GPIO1
+  rx_pin: GPIO3
+
+packages:
+  uart: !include ../../test_build_components/common/uart/esp32-idf.yaml
+  ds1603l: !include common.yaml
diff --git a/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp8266-ard.yaml b/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp8266-ard.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..878e45899b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/ds1603l/test.esp8266-ard.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+substitutions:
+  tx_pin: GPIO0
+  rx_pin: GPIO2
+
+packages:
+  uart: !include ../../test_build_components/common/uart/esp8266-ard.yaml
+  ds1603l: !include common.yaml