Ultrashort pulse laser has important potential applications in the field of optoelectronic countermeasure because of its unique propagation features. An ultrafast optical limiter based on optical Kerr effect for ultrashort laser pulses is proposed on account of the problems in the traditional optical limiting (OL) method. The proposed OL technique utilizes the nonlinear polarization ellipse rotation (NER) effect induced in nonlinear materials to realize an excellent OL performance with ultra- low activating threshold. By combining NER and self- focusing effects, the proposed optical limiter can be used in a large dynamic range. The proposed optical limiter also has advantages of ultrafast response time and wide applicable spectral range. The basic principles of NER effects is discussed systematiclly, and OL performance of the limiter is verified using a femtosecond pulse laser.