The electrostatic discharge (ESD) characteristics of GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) with textured p-GaN layers grown on c-axis vicinal sapphire substrates are studied and demonstrated. Based on the machine model, the device grown on a 0.35 degrees tilt sapphire shows the highest ESD tolerance, whereas the one grown on a 0.2 degrees tilt sapphire exhibits the poorest tolerance. This phenomenon is primarily influenced by the presence of maximum capacitance (C-m) values induced by a parasitic capacitance effect at the p-GaN/indium tin oxide interface rather than the difference in dislocation densities between LEDs. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3486448] All rights reserved.