Abstract Random lasers from dye-doped nematic liquid crystal (DDNLC) cells with different rubbing methods were observed due to different random ring cavities that were formed. Through constructing cells with different rubbing methods on the forward and backward surfaces of light-emitting sides, we can get two random laser beams with different polarization directions from one DDNLC cell at the same time, and the polarization direction is along the rubbing direction of the light-emitting sides. Additionally, the influence of external electric field on the polarization degree of random lasers was also studied.