Abstract: The recovery of vanadium (V) from stone coal by bioleaching is a promising method. The bioleaching experiments and the biosorption experiments were carried out, aiming to explore the adsorption characteristics of Bacillus mucilaginosus (B. mucilaginosus) on the surface of vanadium-bearing stone coal, and the related mechanisms have been investigated. After bioleaching at 30°C for 28 d, the cumulative leaching rate of V reached 60.2%. The biosorption of B. mucilaginosus on stone coal was affected by many factors. When the pH value of leaching system is 5.0, strong electrostatic attraction between bacteria and stone coal promoted biosorption. Bacteria in the logarithmic growth phase had mature and excellent biosorption properties. The initial bacterial concentration of 3.5 × 10⁸ CFU/mL was conducive to adhesion, with 38.9% adsorption rate and 3.6 × 10⁷ CFU/g adsorption quantity. The adsorption of B. mucilaginosus on the stone coal conformed to the Freundlich model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Bacterial surface carried functional groups (–CH₂, –CH₃, –NH₂, etc.), which were highly correlated with the adsorption behavior. In addition, biosorption changed the surface properties of stone coal, resulting in the isoelectric point (IEP) approaching the bacteria. The results could provide an effective reference for the adsorption laws of bacteria on minerals.