Trademarks, copyright and patents
How Much Does a Trademark Cost: The USPTO Fees, the Other Costs, and What Changed in 2025
A federal trademark costs $350 per class at the USPTO, plus possible extra fees, intent-to-use filings and renewals. See 2025 changes and Texas state fees.
Counselado · August 30, 2026 · United States · Updated October 1, 2026
A federal trademark application costs $350 per class when you file it electronically with the USPTO and the application meets the base requirements, according to the USPTO's cost overview (opens in a new tab). The government total climbs if information is missing, if you write your own description of goods or services, if that description runs long, or if you file on an intent-to-use basis. Petitions, appeals and the maintenance filings that keep a registration alive add more over time. This fee structure took effect in January 2025. State registrations carry their own separate fees, and attorney, search and monitoring charges are private costs with no single national price.
Key takeaways
- The USPTO base application fee is $350 per class for a qualifying Section 1 or Section 44 application.
- Extra filing fees can apply: $100 per class for insufficient information, $200 per class for free-form text, and $200 for each extra 1,000 characters.
- Intent-to-use applications later need a $150 per class Statement of Use, and each six-month extension is $125 per class.
- Keeping a registration costs $325 per class for the Section 8 declaration and $650 per class for the combined ten-year filing.
- Texas charges $50 per class for a state registration, which is separate from federal registration.
How much does a federal trademark application cost right now?
The base fee is $350 per class for an electronic application filed under Section 1 or Section 44 that satisfies the base requirements. The fee is set in 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(iii) (opens in a new tab). The USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) is labeled effective January 19, 2025 and was last revised August 14, 2026, while the January 2025 final rule itself took effect January 18, 2025.
The words "per class" do most of the work in that number. The USPTO groups goods and services into classes, and most trademark fees are charged once for each class in the application. Goods and services can fall in different classes, so a brand used on products and also for a service may involve more than one class. Two classes means $700 in base fees, and three means $1,050, before any extra charges. One filing does not automatically cover every product or service you sell, so identifying the classes is part of estimating the government cost.
What can make the filing fee higher?
Three surcharges can be added at filing, each described on the USPTO's additional fees page (opens in a new tab) and set out in 37 C.F.R. §2.6:
- Insufficient information: $100 per class. This applies when the application leaves out required information.
- Free-form text: $200 per class. This applies when you type your own description of goods or services instead of choosing an entry from the USPTO's Trademark ID Manual.
- Excess characters: $200 for each additional group of 1,000 characters beyond the first 1,000 characters in an affected class.
These charges stack. A single-class application that uses free-form text and is also missing information would carry $650 in government fees at filing, compared with $350 for one that avoids both. Choosing descriptions from the ID Manual and completing every required field avoid the first two surcharges.
Hover or tap a row to highlight it.
| Item | Fee | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Base electronic application, Section 1 or 44 | $350 per class | 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(iii) (opens in a new tab) |
| Insufficient information | $100 per class | 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(iv) (opens in a new tab) |
| Free-form text identification | $200 per class | 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(v) (opens in a new tab) |
| Excess characters | $200 per additional 1,000 characters | 37 C.F.R. §2.6(a)(1)(vi) (opens in a new tab) |
What changed in January 2025?
The USPTO replaced its old filing options with a single base application and a set of surcharges. Under the final rule published at 89 FR 91062 (opens in a new tab), and confirmed in the USPTO's January 18, 2025 announcement (opens in a new tab), the agency:
- Discontinued the TEAS Plus application fee of $250 per class and its $100 per class processing fee.
- Discontinued the TEAS Standard fee of $350 per class.
- Adopted the $350 base application fee per class for qualifying Section 1 and Section 44 applications.
- Added the insufficient-information, free-form text and excess-character fees.
The practical effect is that the old $250 starting price no longer applies to new applications. If you see that figure on an older page or in an older quote, it reflects the prior rules. The USPTO's Examination Guide 1-25 (opens in a new tab) explains how the change was applied to pending applications.
What fees can come up after you file?
Many applications cost only the filing fee until registration, but several later steps carry their own charges. The figures below are current electronic fees under 37 C.F.R. §2.6, according to the USPTO's fee information page (opens in a new tab).
Intent-to-use filings. If you file before you are using the mark, on an intent-to-use basis (opens in a new tab), you later file an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use at $150 per class. If you need more time to start using the mark, each six-month extension request is $125 per class, and up to five extension requests may be available.
Office action responses. The standard period to respond to a pre-registration office action is three months. A single three-month extension is available for $125 where permitted, as the USPTO's response forms page (opens in a new tab) explains.
Petitions, appeals and changes. A petition to revive an abandoned application is $250, and a petition to the Director is $400. An ex parte appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board is $225 per class. Dividing an application costs $100 for each new application created. After registration, an amendment or an added disclaimer is $100 each when filed electronically.
All of these are government fees only. Any attorney or other professional charges for preparing these filings are separate.
What does it cost to keep a registration active?
A federal registration does not run on autopilot. The USPTO's maintenance guidance (opens in a new tab) sets two recurring windows: a Section 8 declaration of use between the fifth and sixth anniversaries of registration, and a combined Section 8 declaration and Section 9 renewal between the ninth and tenth anniversaries and every ten years after that. A six-month grace period follows each deadline, with added fees.
Hover or tap a row to highlight it.
| Filing | Fee per class | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Section 8 declaration of use | $325 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Section 8 grace-period fee | $100 added | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Section 15 declaration of incontestability | $250 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Combined Section 8 and Section 15 | $575 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Section 9 renewal | $325 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Combined Section 8 and Section 9 | $650 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
| Combined Section 8 and Section 9 in the grace period | $850 | USPTO fee schedule (opens in a new tab) |
The $850 grace-period figure is the $650 combined fee plus a $100 Section 8 grace-period fee and a $100 Section 9 grace-period fee. Filing within the regular window avoids those added charges.
Are USPTO fees refunded if the application is refused?
Generally, no. The USPTO says (opens in a new tab) it generally does not refund fees, and filing an application does not guarantee registration. Its Section 1(b) timeline (opens in a new tab) also states that filing fees are not refunded when an application is abandoned after a final office action and a missed response or appeal deadline. A refund request may exist in limited situations involving USPTO error or certain procedural circumstances, but those exceptions do not create a general right to a refund. Because of that, the search and classification work done before filing affects the budget as much as the fee itself.
What does a Texas or other state registration cost?
State registration is a separate system, filed with a state office under state law. It does not create a federal registration or the same nationwide structure. Three state examples show how the fees compare:
- Texas. The Texas Secretary of State fee schedule (opens in a new tab) lists $50 per class for an application and $25 per class for renewal. An assignment is $25, a transfer of ownership or change in registrant name is $10, and a corrected or new certificate is $15. The application form is Form 901 (opens in a new tab). Texas Business and Commerce Code §16.066 (opens in a new tab) lets the Secretary of State set fees and makes them generally nonrefundable unless otherwise specified.
- California. The California Secretary of State (opens in a new tab) lists $70 per classification for a registration and $30 for a renewal. A California registration is active for five years and can be renewed for more five-year periods, according to its trademark FAQs (opens in a new tab).
- New York. The New York Department of State (opens in a new tab) charges $50 for each classification, and its instructions call for the application, the fee and three specimens.
A Texas registration covers Texas. The Texas Secretary of State (opens in a new tab) explains the scope of state registration, and federal registration, handled by the USPTO, has a different geographic scope. Confirm the current Texas fee with the Secretary of State before you file.
What about searches, attorneys and monitoring?
Searching is the one step with a free official option. The USPTO's trademark search system (opens in a new tab) costs nothing to use, and the USPTO calls a federal database search an essential step. The same USPTO searching page (opens in a new tab) explains that a full clearance search can involve many sources beyond its database, that applicants may hire a private trademark attorney for a clearance search, and that private search firms may provide results without analyzing them.
Attorney, search-firm and monitoring charges are private professional fees, not amounts the USPTO sets, and they vary by provider and by the work involved. If you are considering help, ask the attorney or clinic for a written fee arrangement before work begins so you know what is included. Domestic applicants may file on their own or hire counsel, while foreign-domiciled applicants generally need a U.S.-licensed attorney. Our guide on how to trademark a name walks through the search and filing steps those fees attach to.
When are fees due and how long does the process take?
Costs arrive in a rough order. Search and classification work comes first, and the USPTO database is free. The base fee and any surcharges are paid when you file. Examination follows, and the USPTO's application timeline (opens in a new tab), using data updated August 10, 2026, shows an average of 4.2 months from filing to a first examining action. If an office action issues, a response or a paid extension may follow. Intent-to-use applicants pay for the Statement of Use or extensions later, and an appeal or petition adds its own fee if one is needed. The same data shows an average of 9.7 months from filing to registration or abandonment. These are averages, and individual applications can take more or less time.
After registration, the Section 8 filing comes due between years five and six, and the combined Section 8 and Section 9 filing comes due between years nine and ten, then every ten years.
When trademark costs come due
- Before filingSearch and classification work; the USPTO search database is free, and private search or attorney charges are separate.
- At filingThe $350 per class base fee, plus any surcharge for insufficient information, free-form text or excess characters.
- ExaminationUSPTO data updated August 10, 2026 shows an average of 4.2 months from filing to a first examining action.
- Office action, if one issuesThe standard response period is three months, and a single three-month extension costs $125 where permitted.
- Intent-to-use filingsA Statement of Use or Amendment to Allege Use is $150 per class, and each six-month extension is $125 per class.
- Years five to sixThe Section 8 declaration of use, $325 per class.
- Years nine to ten, then every ten yearsThe combined Section 8 and Section 9 filing, $650 per class, or $850 per class in the grace period.
How can you tell an official fee from a misleading invoice?
Official fees are the amounts on the current USPTO fee schedule, paid through USPTO systems. The USPTO warns (opens in a new tab) that unaffiliated companies send notices that look like invoices and ask for more than the official fees, covering things like registration, renewal, monitoring and recordation; it keeps examples of these solicitations (opens in a new tab). The way to check is to look up your application or registration in TSDR, where official USPTO communications, including requests for payment, are uploaded under the documents tab.
The FTC warns (opens in a new tab) that scammers impersonate the USPTO and demand urgent payment by phone, text, email, wire transfer, payment app or gift card, and says the USPTO does not make those demands.
For help with the process, the USPTO's Trademark Assistance Center (opens in a new tab) answers general procedural and system questions, though not legal ones. Participating law school clinics in the USPTO's Law School Clinic Certification Program (opens in a new tab) may provide qualifying trademark services pro bono, and the USPTO's legal services flyer (opens in a new tab) lists attorney, clinic and pro bono options.
Check what you know
Frequently asked questions about trademark costs
These answers cover a few details that come up once the main fees are clear.
Is the fee different for an application filed through WIPO?
Yes. A $600 per-class fee continues for applications filed with WIPO under Section 66(a), subject to the applicable rule. That fee is separate from the $350 base fee for Section 1 and Section 44 applications.
Is a state registration enough instead of a federal one?
A state registration operates under that state's law and is administered by that state's office. Federal registration is handled by the USPTO and has a different geographic scope, and the two fees are paid separately if you file both.
Can the official fee change after I file?
The USPTO revises its fee schedule, and the current schedule page was last revised August 14, 2026, with the PDF version revised July 1, 2026. Check the current fee schedule (opens in a new tab) before each later filing, such as a Statement of Use or a renewal.
How does a trademark differ from copyright or a patent on cost?
Each is a separate system with its own office and fees. Our comparison of trademark vs copyright vs patent sets the three side by side, including their government filing fees.
A next step
If you want help estimating classes or reviewing a filing before you pay, you can browse intellectual property and other practice areas and compare law firms in our directory that handle trademark work.
Terms in this guide
Tap a term to see what it means.
International class. One of the categories the USPTO uses to group goods and services; most trademark fees are charged once for each class in an application.
Trademark ID Manual. The USPTO's list of prewritten descriptions of goods and services; choosing an entry from it avoids the free-form text fee.
Free-form text. A description of goods or services the applicant writes instead of choosing one from the ID Manual; it carries a $200 per class fee.
Intent-to-use application. An application filed before the mark is in use, which later needs an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use.
Statement of Use. The filing that shows an intent-to-use mark is now in use; it costs $150 per class.
Office action. A USPTO letter raising an issue with an application before registration; the standard response period is three months.
Section 8 declaration. The declaration of use due between the fifth and sixth anniversaries of registration, and again with each ten-year renewal.
Section 9 renewal. The renewal filed with a Section 8 declaration between the ninth and tenth anniversaries, and every ten years after that.
Grace period. The six months after a maintenance deadline during which the filing can still be made, with added fees.
TSDR. The USPTO's online record for each application or registration, where official communications, including requests for payment, appear under the documents tab.
This guide gives general legal information, not legal advice for your situation. Laws change and differ by state; a lawyer licensed in your state can tell you how they apply to you.