The 1996–97 Scottish Second Division was won by Ayr United who, along with second placed Hamilton Academical, were promoted to the First Division. Stenhousemuir and Berwick Rangers were relegated to the Third Division.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayr United (C, P) | 36 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 61 | 33 | +28 | 77 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Hamilton Academical (P) | 36 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 75 | 28 | +47 | 74 | |
| 3 | Livingston | 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 64 | |
| 4 | Clyde | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 42 | 39 | +3 | 52 | |
| 5 | Queen of the South | 36 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 55 | 57 | −2 | 47 | |
| 6 | Stenhousemuir | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 49 | 43 | +6 | 44 | |
| 7 | Brechin City | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 36 | 49 | −13 | 41 | |
| 8 | Stranraer | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 29 | 51 | −22 | 36 | |
| 9 | Dumbarton (R) | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 44 | 66 | −22 | 35 | Relegation to the Third Division |
| 10 | Berwick Rangers (R) | 36 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 75 | −43 | 23 |
Source: "1996-1997 Second Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Top scorers
| P | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Iain Stewart (Inverness CT)
|
16 |
| 2 | G Harvey (Livingston)
|
15 |
| = | Ian Little (Stenhousemuir)
|
15 |
| 4 | Martin McLauchan (Forfar Athletic)
|
14 |
| 5 | Colin McDonald (Clydebank)
|
13 |
| = | B Thomson (Inverness CT)
|
13 |
| 7 |  Ben Honeyman (Forfar Athletic)
|
12 |
| 8 | Tommy Bryce (Queen of the South)
|
11 |
| = | Matthew Dyer (East Fife)
|
11 |
| = | Gordon Young (Stranraer)
|
11 |
References