Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health concern with high postoperative recurrence rates. Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) is a promising biomarker for HCC prognosis, but its optimal cutoff value remains unclear, especially in AFP-negative patients. This study aimed to determine the ideal cutoff value of DCP in AFP-negative HCC patients following liver resection and to investigate its impact on long-term outcomes. This multicenter retrospective study included 661 patients who underwent curative HCC resection between 2015 and 2020 at three Chinese hospitals. Patients with AFP levels < 20 ng/mL were included. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence (TTR). DCP levels were categorized as low (≤ 600 mAU/ml) and high (> 600 mAU/ml). Among the 661 patients (median age 56 years; 88.4% men), 477 had low DCP levels and 184 had high DCP levels. Patients with high DCP levels had more aggressive tumor characteristics, including larger tumor size, microvascular invasion, and macrovascular invasion. The 5-year OS rates were 76.3% in the low DCP group vs. 57.6% in the high DCP group ( < 0.001), and the 5-year recurrence rates were 44.9% vs. 61.0% ( < 0.001), respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that high DCP levels were an independent risk factor for decreased OS (HR 1.548, 95%CI 1.135-2.111; = 0.006) and increased TTR (HR 1.390, 95%CI 1.081-1.787; = 0.010). A DCP cutoff value of 600 mAU/ml effectively stratifies AFP-negative HCC patients into high- and low-risk groups for survival and recurrence after liver resection. This cutoff value can guide clinical decision-making and improve prognostic accuracy.