Abstract: Carbon dots (CDs) have many excellent characteristics, including simple preparation, abundant sources, low toxicity and excellent optical properties, that can be served as fluorescent materials to prepare fluorescent films for solid-state lighting devices. The different ways of the CDs-based film formation and their white light emission make the variety properties of fluorescent films. Firstly, the photoluminescence mechanisms of CDs are introduced. Secondly, the fluorescent films are divided into two categories based on the film formations: CDs/polymer fluorescent films and CDs self-assembled fluorescent films, and their preparation methods are summarized. Thirdly, according to the types of fluorescent materials in the fluorescent film, two means of realizing white light emission of fluorescent films are introduced by mixing polychromatic fluorescent materials and using single white light CDs. Finally, the problems of CDs and their fluorescent films and the prospects for development of CDs-based fluorescent films are discussed.