The invention relates to a production method of a dye intermediate, i.e., 6-nitro-1,2,4-sulfonic acid. The method is characterized in that: the 6-nitro-1,2,4-sulfonic acid is obtained by taking ethyl naphthol as a major raw material and performing procedures including nitrosification, neutralizing, sulfonation reduction displacement, diazotization, acidification, nitration and the like. Due to the adoption of the method, the problems of the production of a large amount of high-COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) waste water and waste gas and high production cost existing in a production process can be solved. In the method, ethyl naphthol is dissolved by raising the temperature naturally, so that a liquid caustic soda dissolving method is replaced, the using amount of liquid caustic soda and sulfuric acid is reduced, production cost is reduced, and the production of waste water is reduced; a diazonium resisting method is adopted for diazonium, so that the production of toxic waste gas is reduced, the yield of diazonium is increased, and production cost is reduced; the diazonium resisting method is adopted, and solid sodium nitrite is added, so that the production of waste water can be reduced; and in diazonium, copper sulfate is taken as a catalyst, so that reaction speed is increased, the occurrence of side reactions is reduced, and yield is increased.