What are the USPTO Fees Associated with Filing for Trademark Registration?
Protecting your brand's identity is one of the most important investments you can make for your business. A part and parcel of protecting your brand is attaining registration for your trademarks. A federal trademark registration grants you exclusive rights to your name, logo, or slogan throughout the United States. While the process offers tremendous value, it is not free. Knowing the costs involved is the first step toward securing your intellectual property. Like almost everything in the business landscape, attaining a trademark registration is not free.
As of January 18, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has implemented a revised fee schedule and simplified its application process. This guide breaks down the new application fees, maintenance fees, and other potential charges you might encounter, ensuring you can budget effectively for your trademark journey.
The Initial Trademark Application Fee (2025 and Beyond)
The first major cost is the USPTO filng fee to file your trademark application. The USPTO has retired its previous TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard application options as of January 2025. All new applications must use a unified electronic base application.
Unified Base Application Fee
The unified base electronic application now costs $350 per class of goods or services. This means that for each class in which you wish to register your trademark (for example, apparel in Class 25 and consulting services in Class 45), you must pay $350 for each class at the time of filing.
- Base Application Fee (Sections 1 & 44): $350 per class
A trademark application is eligible to use this $350 base fee if the class descriptions for its goods and services originate from the ID Manual. The USPTO's ID Manual is a comprehensive listing of pre-approved or standardized descriptions, based on the Nice classification system. While comprehensive and robust, not all common goods or services have entries. If your trademark application cannot use the ID Manual, then you will have to draft a custom description of goods/services using the Freeform option.
Free Form Option and Fee
The Freeform option allows you to identify your goods and services in a custom manner. The base filing fee for an application using Freefrom jumps to $550 per class. This $550 filing fee will apply to every class in your application, regardless of whether the other classes use ID Manual-approved entries. This $550 filing fee will cover descriptions up to 1000 characters in length. If your customized description exceeds 1000 characters, the USPTO will charge an additional $200 for each additional allotment of 1000 characters.
Additional Application Fees
While most applicants will only pay the $350 or $550 base fees per class, there are additional fees that may apply depending on how you complete your application:
- Insufficient Information Fee: If you submit an application missing required details or information, you will be charged an additional $100 per class.
- Additional Class: If you misidentify the goods and services (such that the USPTO believes you need to apply for additional classes to cover your goods/services), you will be charged additional per class fees and may even be charged the "insufficient information fee."
- Excess Text Fee: As previously mentioned, if your Freeform custom identification exceeds 1,000 characters per class, there is an additional $200 fee per each extra 1,000 characters or portion thereof.
It is highly recommended to use the standardized descriptions from the USPTO ID Manual to avoid these surcharges and to prepare your application as completely and accurately as possible from the outset.
What is a "Class of Goods or Services"?
The USPTO divides all goods and services into 45 classes. You must select every class that represents how you use or plan to use your trademark. Your total fee will be the per-class base application fee (plus any surcharges) multiplied by the number of classes.
Example: Filing for two classes with ID Manual standard identifications: 2 x $350 = $700
However, if one class uses a custom description under 1,000 characters: 2 x $200 additional = $1100 total
A trademark attorney can help you choose the correct classes and prepare your descriptions to avoid costly errors or extra fees.
Fees After Filing, But Before Registration
Application filing is only the beginning. Other fees may be due before your trademark is officially registered—especially for intent-to-use applications.
Statement of Use (SOU) & Intent-to-Use Applications
When you apply, you must identify your basis for filing, either:
- Use in Commerce: You are already using your mark in commerce. Submit proof (a “specimen”) at filing.
- Intent-to-Use (ITU): You plan to use the mark in the future. After the USPTO has approved your application, you must file a Statement of Use (SOU) to show actual use in commerce.
Fees for ITU applications:
- Statement of Use (SOU) Fee: $150 per class
- Extension Requests (if you need more time to file a SOU): $125 per class, per extension (up to five extensions allowed)
- Amendment to Allege Use (AAU): $150 per class
If these deadlines are missed, your application may be abandoned.
Keeping Your Trademark Alive: Maintenance Fees
Once your trademark is registered, you must file specific maintenance documents and pay fees at various intervals to keep your rights. Recent updates have increased these fees as well.
Section 8 Declaration of Use
Between the fifth and sixth years after registration, file a Section 8 Declaration to confirm your mark is still in use.
- Section 8 Declaration Fee: $325 per class (if filed on time)
- Section 8 Declaration Fee if filed during the Grace Period: $425 per class
Section 8 & 9 Combined Renewal
Between the ninth and tenth years—and every ten years after—you must file a combined Section 8 Declaration of Use and Section 9 Renewal:
- Combined Section 8 & 9 Fee: $650 per class ($325 Section 8 + $325 Section 9) (if filed on time)
- Combined Section 8 & 9 Fee if filed during the Grace Period: $850 per class ($425 Section 8 + $425 Section 9)
Section 15 Declaration of Incontestability
Optional, but recommended for added protection after five years of continuous use:
- Section 15 Fee: $250 per class
Other Potential USPTO Fees
There are additional fees you may encounter, such as:
- Petition to the Director: $400
- Petition to Revive an Application: $250
- Letter of Protest: $150
- Assignments (recording change of ownership): $40 for the first mark; $25 each additional mark in the same transaction
Optional Third-Party and Attorney Fees for Clearance Search
Before filing a trademark application, it is highly recommended to conduct a comprehensive clearance search. While not required by the USPTO, this process reduces the risk of conflict with existing marks and can prevent costly refusals or legal disputes.
Third-party vendors and trademark attorneys typically offer:
- Full clearance searches (covering federal, state, and unregistered common law uses)
- Legal analysis and written opinions on availability and registrability
Fees for these services are paid in addition to USPTO filing costs and vary widely based on the search's complexity and the provider's experience. Although optional, investing in a proper search and analysis can save significant time, money, and stress.
There is a wide variety of reputable and reliable vendors that provide the raw search data for a comprehensive search (covering federal, state, and unregistered common law uses). These range in price from $141.11 to over $750 per search.
Attorneys performing a clearance opinion based off of the search reports generated by vendors will typically charge a flat fee for their services, but each attorney will have their own fee.
The Value of Professional Guidance
USPTO fee rules and deadlines are complex—and changes like those implemented in 2025 make professional guidance more important than ever. Hiring a trademark attorney can help you:
- Select the correct classes and craft complete applications
- Avoid surplus fees for incomplete or nonstandard filings
- Meet all deadlines for use and maintenance filings
- Resolve USPTO requests and address refusals efficiently
By working with an experienced trademark lawyer, you minimize risk and ensure your brand is protected from the start.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Our trademark attorneys will walk you through each step—from clearance searches and application strategy to long-term maintenance—helping you secure and defend your brand for years to come.
