Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev (Russian: Дмитрий Яковлевич Лаптев) (1701 - January 31 [O.S. January 20] 1771) was a Russian Arctic explorer and Vice Admiral (1762).

Dmitry Laptev was born in the village of Bolotovo, near Velikie Luki, in 1701. Bolotovo was the estate of his father, Yakov Laptev. Yakov's brother, Prokofiy Laptev, owned a nearby estate called Pokarevo, where in 1700 Dmitry's cousin, Khariton Laptev, was born.

Dmitry Laptev started his career in the navy as a cadet in 1718. In 1736, he was appointed leader of one of the parties of the Second Kamchatka expedition. As a result of his voyages by land and sea in 1739—1742, Laptev described the sea coastline from the mouth of the Lena River to the Cape Bolshoy Baranov (east of the mouth of the Kolyma River), basin and mouth of the Anadyr River, and land route from the Anadyr fortress to the Penzhinskaya Bay. In 1741—1742, Laptev surveyed the rivers of Bolshoy Anyuy and Anadyr. After the expedition, he continued his military service in the Baltic Fleet. Laptev was promoted to Vice Admiral rank in 1762, and retired same year.