The invention provides a color image encryption method based on new four-dimensional hyper-chaos and DNA random coding calculation, aiming at the problems that static DNA coding and calculation rules are single, an encryption process is separated from a plaintext, and the encryption process is easily broken by the plaintext. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, designing a new four-dimensional hyper-chaotic system, generating a plurality of pseudo-random sequences by an iteration system, calculating and correcting the pseudo-random sequences to generate a new pseudo-random sequence and a matrix, decomposing a color image into R, G and B channel components, and fusing the R, G and B channel components into a matrix; then carrying out DNA random coding and DNA random calculation on an image and a pseudo-random matrix according to a newly generated pseudo-random sequence, carrying out scrambling and DNA random decoding related to a DNA-level plaintext, then decomposing the matrix into channel components, carrying out fusion to generate a final ciphertext image, wherein an initial value of a chaotic system is obtained by calculating the plaintext through an SHA-512 algorithm. The encryption method provided by the invention is not only large in key space and high in plaintext sensitivity, but also capable of effectively resisting statistical, violent and differential attacks and the like.