Porous anodic oxide (PAO) films are grown by electrochemical oxidation of valve metals in baths that dissolve the oxide. The self-organized hexagonal patterns of pores in these films have led to many investigations of PAO-based devices. However, the mechanisms of pore formation and ordering have not yet been fully explained. Recent experimental and modeling results indicate the importance of plastic flow during growth of self-ordered PAO.1 Here we investigated the origin of stress driving plastic flow, and the possible role of stress in the morphological instability leading to pore formation. We report the first measurements of the evolution of stress distributions in barrier anodic oxide layers on Al, just prior to the appearance of pores.