The propagation characteristics of laser-generated Lamb waves in thin composite plates are theoretically studied. Taking the anisotropic and viscoelastic properties of the composite material into account, the finite element models for simulating laser-generated Lamb waves in the composite material are established in the frequency domain. Numerical results are calculated in purely elastic and viscoelastic transversely isotropic plates, respectively. The effects of the anisotropic and viscoelastic properties on the propagation of Lamb waves are analyzed in detail. The numerical results exhibit that the features of the laser-generated Lamb wave, including attenuation, velocity, frequency, and the dispersive nature, have a close relationship with the anisotropic and viscoelastic properties of the material.