Auxin response factors (ARFs) are the transcription factors responding to auxin signaling, which play important role in flower development, however, their role in flower development have not been reported in sunflowers. In this study, based on the transcriptome data constructed in our group, 39 members of ARF family were screened in sunflower, belonging to 5 subfamilies, and the members in the same subfamily shared similar gene structure, conserved domains and motifs. Further analysis of tissue specific expression pattern showed that 20 members of ARF family are related to regulate flower development of sunflower. By comparing their expression at various stages during flower development between WT and the cb1 (crazy broccoli 1) mutant with defection of meristem determinacy and floral organ differentiation, the results showed that gene33195, gene34899, gene58924, gene2145 and gene16681 presented high expressing level from St2 to St4 of flower development, but barely expressed in late stages; while, their expression was up-regulated during flower development in cb1 mutant, corresponding to the peak level at early stages of flower development in WT. Another ARF gene, gene70445 presented higher expressing levels during whole flower development in cb1 mutants than WT plants. These results revealed that these six ARF genes play important roles during the process of floral meristem transformation and floral organ organogenesis in sunflower. The results of cis-acting element analysis showed that the promoter region of these six ARF genes owned the elements being recognized by AP2/ERF, MIKC_MADS and LFY, indicating that they could be regulated by AP2/ERF, MIKC_MADS and LFY family genes during meristem transformation and floral organogenesis of sunflower. The obtained results could provide important clue for futher exploring the biological function and molecular regulatory mechanisms of ARF genes in flower development of sunflower, as well as reference for sunflower varieties breeding.