A method for determining a terminal state, comprising: a network side judging that no location update initiated by the terminal is received when a reachable timer corresponding to the terminal is expired (101, 201, 301), then sending a paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate an interaction process with the network side to determine the terminal state, characterized in that wherein sending a paging message to the terminal and triggering the terminal to initiate an interaction process with the network side comprises any one of following ways: way one: sending a paging message carrying a tracking area update, TAU, indication to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; or, way two: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to the network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently, and the network management entity feeds back a service reject message to the terminal after receiving the service request message; or, way three: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to a first network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; and the first network management entity feeding back a service reject message with a load balance to the terminal after receiving the service request message, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a second network management entity. a network side judging that no location update initiated by the terminal is received when a reachable timer corresponding to the terminal is expired (101, 201, 301), then sending a paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate an interaction process with the network side to determine the terminal state, characterized in that wherein sending a paging message to the terminal and triggering the terminal to initiate an interaction process with the network side comprises any one of following ways: way one: sending a paging message carrying a tracking area update, TAU, indication to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; or, way two: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to the network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently, and the network management entity feeds back a service reject message to the terminal after receiving the service request message; or, way three: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to a first network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; and the first network management entity feeding back a service reject message with a load balance to the terminal after receiving the service request message, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a second network management entity. way one: sending a paging message carrying a tracking area update, TAU, indication to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; or, way two: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to the network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently, and the network management entity feeds back a service reject message to the terminal after receiving the service request message; or, way three: sending the paging message to the terminal, and triggering the terminal to initiate a service request message to a first network management entity to which the terminal belongs currently; and the first network management entity feeding back a service reject message with a load balance to the terminal after receiving the service request message, and triggering the terminal to initiate a TAU process to a second network management entity.