How Much Does Trademark Registration Cost in the United States? (2026): USPTO Fees, Classes and Timeline

The USPTO's current filing system

Effective January 18, 2025, the USPTO retired the old two-tier system (TEAS Plus at $250/class and TEAS Standard at $350/class) and replaced it with a single base application at $350 per class. All applications now go through Trademark Center — TEAS is no longer the filing platform.

The base fee applies when the application meets the standard requirements. Several surcharges can push the cost higher:

• $100 per class if the application is missing required information (such as translations or disclaimers).
• $200 per class if the description of goods or services is written as free text rather than selected from the USPTO's Acceptable Identification Manual (ID Manual).
• $200 per additional 1,000 characters if the goods/services description exceeds 1,000 characters.

Most well-prepared applications using an ID Manual description pay only the $350 base fee. Applicants with unusual or highly specific goods or services who cannot find a matching ID Manual entry will pay $550 per class ($350 + $200 surcharge).

Paper applications (filed by mail or hand-delivery) are still technically accepted in very limited circumstances and carry an $850 per class fee. Virtually all applicants file electronically.

How trademark classes work — and why they matter for cost

The USPTO uses the Nice Classification system, an international schedule of 45 classes covering every category of goods (classes 1–34) and services (classes 35–45). Each class is a separate filing fee.

A coffee brand selling coffee products (class 30) and operating a café (class 43) pays the base fee twice. A software company registering for downloadable apps (class 9) and SaaS services (class 42) pays it twice as well.

This is where trademark applications get expensive fast. A company covering four classes at the base rate pays $1,400 in USPTO fees alone — before any attorney involvement.

One common mistake: filing for too many classes to "be safe." The USPTO requires a bona fide intent to use the mark in each class at the time of filing under 15 U.S.C. § 1051(b). Stretching into classes where you have no real product or plan invites cancellation proceedings later.

The Office Action wildcard

The USPTO examining attorney reviews every application for conflicts with existing registrations and for compliance with 15 U.S.C. § 1052 (the grounds for refusing registration). If the examiner raises a refusal or requires clarification, you receive an Office Action. Responding is mandatory — failure to reply within the three-month response period (extendable to six months for a $125 fee per application) abandons the application.

Office Action responses from attorneys typically cost $500–$1,500 depending on complexity. A descriptiveness refusal under § 1052(e) — where the examiner argues your mark merely describes your goods — often requires substantive legal argument, sometimes a declaration of acquired distinctiveness under § 2(f), and occasionally evidence of consumer recognition. Those responses sit at the higher end.

The USPTO gives applicants three months to respond to an Office Action. One extension to the six-month mark is available for $125 per application (not per class). Miss the extended deadline and the application is abandoned.

About 55–60% of applications receive at least one Office Action. That's not unusual. It doesn't mean your mark is unregistrable; it usually means the examiner wants clarification or a more precise description of goods.

Timeline: what to expect from filing to registration

A straightforward application takes 8–14 months under normal USPTO examination timelines. The breakdown looks like this:

• Initial examination: 4–5 months after filing. The USPTO assigns an examining attorney who reviews the application.
• Publication in the Official Gazette: if approved, the mark publishes for a 30-day opposition period. Third parties can oppose registration here.
• Statement of Use (Intent-to-Use applications): if you filed before using the mark in commerce, you must file a Statement of Use (or Amendment to Allege Use) after publication. Extensions to file the Statement of Use cost $125 per class each and are available six times (18 months total beyond publication).
• Registration certificate: issued after use is confirmed and no oppositions succeed.

Contested oppositions before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) extend that timeline considerably — sometimes two to four years. TTAB proceedings also carry their own costs, with filing fees starting at $600 per class.

Post-registration maintenance fees

Registration isn't the end of the fee schedule. The USPTO requires maintenance filings to keep a registration alive:

• Between years 5 and 6: a Declaration of Continued Use (Section 8 affidavit) costs $325 per class when filed on time, or $425 per class ($325 + $100 grace period surcharge) if filed during the six-month grace period.
• Every 10 years: a combined Section 8 and Section 9 renewal, costing $325 per class for each filing ($650 combined when filed on time), with the same $100/class grace period surcharge for late filings.

Failing to file the Section 8 declaration between years 5 and 6 cancels the registration entirely. There is no reinstatement after cancellation — you must refile.

State trademark registration: a cheaper but narrower option

Federal registration through the USPTO grants rights across all 50 states and creates legal presumptions of ownership and exclusive use under the Lanham Act. State trademark registration is different: it costs far less (typically $50–$150 with the Secretary of State) but protects only within that state's borders.

State registration makes sense for a purely local business — a regional restaurant chain, a dry-cleaning business operating in one metro area. For anything with nationwide or digital reach, federal registration is the practical choice.

What the total investment looks like

Here is a realistic cost breakdown for a small business filing a single-class trademark without complex Office Action issues:

| Item | Cost (USD) | |---|---| | USPTO filing fee (base application, 1 class) | $350 | | Attorney search and application preparation | $500–$1,000 | | Office Action response (if needed) | $0–$1,500 | | Statement of Use (if ITU filer) | $150 | | Total range | $1,000–$3,000 |

Multi-class filings, opposition proceedings, or §2(f) arguments can push costs well above $5,000.

Doing it yourself vs. hiring an attorney

Pro se (self-represented) applicants file roughly 25% of USPTO trademark applications. The USPTO's Trademark Center is designed for non-attorneys, and the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) is publicly available for prior art searches.

The risk in self-representation isn't filing the wrong form — it's missing conflicting marks in a clearance search, writing an overly broad or overly narrow description that causes problems later, or responding to an Office Action without legal arguments that satisfy the examiner. A mark that gets abandoned or cancelled after two years of use is far more expensive to deal with than attorney fees upfront.

For applicants who want to start with the application itself before engaging counsel, a free US trademark registration template covers the key fields and sections you will need to complete before filing with the USPTO through TEAS. Understanding the structure of the application — mark description, dates of first use, specimen requirements — before you open a Trademark Center session saves time and reduces errors.

Renewals and watching fees after registration

Many registered trademark owners overlook the ongoing cost of protecting a mark. USPTO registration is worth defending only if you monitor for infringement and file renewals on time.

Trademark watching services (which scan new applications for confusingly similar marks) run $100–$500 per year depending on the service and coverage scope. Sending a cease-and-desist letter through forms-legal.com for a straightforward infringement scenario costs nothing in itself, though enforcing it through TTAB or federal court is a separate matter.

The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 added new expungement and reexamination proceedings before the TTAB, allowing third parties to challenge a registration on the grounds that the mark was never used in commerce. USPTO fees for these proceedings start at $400 per class. For brand owners, that's one more reason to keep genuine commercial use well documented — dated invoices, screenshots of live website use, and product photos tied to the mark are all useful evidence.

Bottom line

Filing a trademark application in 2026 costs $350 per class at the USPTO under the single base-application system that replaced TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard in January 2025. Applicants who cannot use the ID Manual pay $550 per class. Most applicants pay more once legal fees and potential Office Action responses are added. The total for a single-class mark with attorney support runs $1,000–$2,500 under typical conditions. Multi-class registrations and contested proceedings push well beyond that. Knowing the full fee structure before you file lets you budget accurately and avoid the common mistake of abandoning an application mid-process because of unexpected costs.