How Much Does Trademark Registration Cost in 2026? Complete USPTO Fee Guide

Ask five business owners what a trademark costs and you will get five different answers. One paid 350 dollars. Another paid over 2000 dollars. Both are telling the truth, because trademark cost depends on how many classes you file in, whether you hire help, and what happens after you submit your application.

This guide breaks down every real number: the official USPTO filing fees for 2026, state registration costs, international filing costs through the Madrid Protocol, attorney and filing service pricing, maintenance fees you will owe years later, and the hidden charges that catch most first time applicants off guard. Every figure below is sourced directly from the USPTO fee schedule or another verifiable government or legal source, linked throughout so you can confirm the numbers yourself.

The federal government charge to register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is 350 dollars per class of goods or services under the current fee structure. That is the floor, not the ceiling. Add attorney or filing service fees, possible surcharges for an incomplete or nonstandard application, and future maintenance filings, and a single class trademark that stays trouble free typically costs between 350 and 2000 dollars over its first ten years, according to the USPTO fee schedule.

Why Trademark Costs Are So Confusing

Most people assume trademark registration works like buying a domain name: one flat price, one payment, done. It does not. Trademark cost is really three separate cost categories stacked on top of each other.

1. Government filing fees paid to the USPTO at the time of application and again years later for maintenance
2. Professional fees if you use an attorney or an online filing service to prepare and file the application
3. Contingent fees that only apply if something goes wrong, such as an office action response, an opposition, or a rejected application that needs to be refiled

Marketing pages often quote only the first category, which is why a service advertising a 199 dollar trademark package can still leave you paying 550 dollars or more once the mandatory government fee is added on top.

Official USPTO Filing Fees for 2026

On January 18, 2025, the USPTO retired the old two tier TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard system and replaced it with a single base application fee, filed through the Trademark Center. That structure is still in effect for 2026.

Source: USPTO, How much does it cost and the official USPTO fee schedule PDF.

In practice, this means a clean application using standard ID Manual language costs exactly 350 dollars per class. An application with a custom, free form description costs 550 dollars per class before any other issue arises.

Cost by Number of Classes

The base fee multiplies directly by the number of classes you select. The USPTO groups all goods and services into 45 international classes, known as Nice Classification classes, and every class you include adds another full filing fee.

A single application can cover multiple classes, but the USPTO only allows one mark per application. If you are protecting both a name and a separate logo design, you generally need two applications, each priced by its own class count, because a word mark and a design mark are treated as different marks under USPTO guidance on goods and services.

Filing Fee by Application Basis

The filing basis you choose affects whether you pay extra fees later in the process.

• Use in commerce (Section 1a): you are already selling the goods or services under the mark. No extra filing basis fees apply beyond the base fee.
• Intent to use (Section 1b): you plan to use the mark but have not started yet. You will eventually need to file a Statement of Use for 150 dollars per class, or request a six month extension for 125 dollars per class, up to five times, while you wait to begin sales.
• Foreign application or registration (Section 44) and Madrid Protocol extension (Section 66a): additional certification and international fees apply, covered in the international section below.

If you file an Amendment to Allege Use before your application is approved, that costs 150 dollars per class as well. These figures come from the USPTO’s trademark fee information page.

Complete Post Registration and Maintenance Fee Schedule

This is the part almost every trademark cost article leaves incomplete or reports with outdated numbers. Once your trademark is registered, it does not stay protected for free. You must file specific documents and pay fees on a fixed schedule, or the USPTO cancels your registration automatically, with no reminder sent and no appeal available once the deadline passes.

These figures reflect the official USPTO fee schedule, last revised August 2026. Over a full 10 year cycle, a single class registration with no complications costs roughly 1000 dollars in pure government fees: 350 to file, 325 for the Section 8 declaration, and 325 for the Section 9 renewal.

State Trademark Registration Costs

Federal registration is not your only option, and almost no competing article covers this properly. If your business only operates within one state, or you want an inexpensive layer of protection while you build toward a federal filing, you can register directly with your state’s Secretary of State office.

State fees are dramatically lower than federal fees, though the protection only applies within that state’s borders.

Figures compiled from Northwest Registered Agent’s state trademark fee comparison; confirm the current fee with your specific state before filing, since these change periodically and are set independently of USPTO fees. A state trademark does not grant nationwide rights, does not appear in the federal trademark database, and cannot be used to record protection with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, so most businesses that sell across state lines or online still need federal registration eventually.

International Trademark Costs: Filing Through the Madrid Protocol

If you plan to sell outside the United States, you do not need to file a separate application in every country. The Madrid Protocol, administered through the World Intellectual Property Organization, lets you extend an existing U.S. application or registration into more than 120 member countries using one international application.

Costs for a U.S. based applicant filing internationally through Madrid include:

• USPTO certification fee: 100 dollars per class, paid to the USPTO for certifying your U.S. based application to the World Intellectual Property Organization
• WIPO basic fee: a base amount in Swiss francs, plus individual fees set separately by each country you designate, calculated using the WIPO Madrid fee calculator

As a rough guide, a filing covering three to five countries in one or two classes commonly runs between 2000 and 5000 dollars in total government fees once WIPO and country level charges are included, before any attorney assistance. Filing directly in a single foreign country instead of through Madrid has its own separate fee schedule, for example the EUIPO charges 850 euros for the first class covering all 27 European Union member states, and the UK Intellectual Property Office charges 170 pounds for one class. Foreign applicants designating the United States under Madrid pay the USPTO a separate individual fee, which increased from 500 to 600 dollars per class as part of the 2025 fee restructuring, according to Flaster Greenberg’s summary of the fee changes.

Cost by Trademark Type: Name, Logo, Slogan, or Sound

The USPTO does not charge a different base fee depending on what kind of mark you are registering. A word mark, a logo, a slogan, and even a sound mark all cost the same 350 dollars per class. What changes the total cost is how many separate applications you need.

• Trademarking a name only: one application, priced by class count
• Trademarking a logo only: one application for the design mark, priced by class count
• Trademarking a name and a logo together: generally two separate applications, because the USPTO treats a standard character word mark and a stylized design mark as different marks, each requiring its own filing fee and its own examination
• Trademarking a slogan: treated the same as a word mark, one application, standard per class fee

If your budget only allows for one filing right now, most trademark attorneys recommend registering the word mark first, since a name is usually harder to change than a logo design and the standard character format protects the words regardless of font, color, or styling.

DIY vs Attorney vs Online Filing Service

The USPTO fee itself never changes based on who files the application. What changes is your exposure to mistakes. According to the USPTO, the most common reasons for rejection include a name that is too similar to an existing mark, a description that is too vague or too broad, and a mark that is considered merely descriptive of the goods or services rather than distinctive. None of those rejections come with a refund.

Real World Cost Scenarios

Scenario 1: Solo founder, single class, files directly. A freelance graphic designer trademarks their studio name in class 41 (design services), uses the USPTO ID Manual description, and encounters no issues. Total cost: 350 dollars at filing, plus 325 dollars at year 5 and 325 dollars at year 10. Ten year total: 1000 dollars.

Scenario 2: Small ecommerce brand, two classes, uses an attorney, receives one office action. A skincare brand trademarks its name in class 3 (cosmetics) and class 35 (online retail services), hires an attorney for the search and filing, and receives an office action requiring a response. Estimated cost: 700 dollars in USPTO fees, 900 to 1500 dollars in attorney fees for filing, plus 300 to 800 dollars for the office action response. Total before maintenance: roughly 1900 to 3000 dollars.

Scenario 3: Growing brand expanding internationally. A U.S. company with an existing federal registration decides to expand into Canada, the UK, and the European Union through the Madrid Protocol in one class. Estimated cost: 100 dollars USPTO certification fee plus WIPO basic and country fees, commonly totaling 1500 to 3000 dollars depending on the countries selected, based on the WIPO Madrid fee calculator.

Hidden and Additional Fees to Budget For

Beyond the base filing and maintenance schedule, several situational fees catch applicants by surprise:

• Office action response: no separate USPTO fee in most cases, but attorney fees for a response typically run 300 to 1500 dollars depending on the complexity of the refusal
• Extension of time to respond to an office action: 125 dollars, one time, for a three month extension
• Statement of Use (intent to use applications): 150 dollars per class
• Statement of Use extension: 125 dollars per class, usable up to five times
• Opposition or cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board: several hundred dollars per class in USPTO fees alone, before any attorney representation, according to the USPTO’s TTAB fee information
• Letter of Protest: a smaller filing fee to flag a conflicting pending application to an examiner before it registers

Are Trademark Fees Refundable?

No. The USPTO is explicit that filing fees are not refunded if your application is refused, and are not refunded if you voluntarily abandon the application. The fee pays for the USPTO’s examination of your application, not for a guaranteed outcome. Budgeting for the possibility of an office action, an amendment, or even a full refile is part of realistic trademark planning, not a worst case scenario.

Is Trademark Registration Cost Tax Deductible?

This is a genuine gap in most trademark cost guides, and the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Under IRS rules, a trademark is treated as a Section 197 intangible asset. That means the initial costs to acquire and register a trademark, including USPTO filing fees and related attorney fees, generally cannot be deducted in full the year you pay them. Instead, they are capitalized and amortized over 15 years, as described in IRS Publication 535.

Ongoing costs behave differently. Once the trademark is registered, routine maintenance and renewal fees, along with legal fees to defend or enforce the mark, are generally deductible as ordinary business expenses in the year they are paid. A tax professional can confirm how this applies to your specific business structure, since treatment can vary depending on whether costs were incurred before or after the business began active operations.

How to Reduce Trademark Registration Costs

• Use the USPTO’s ID Manual for your goods and services description to avoid the 200 dollar custom description surcharge
• File only in the classes that reflect what you sell today, not what you might sell someday; extra classes multiply the base fee without adding protection for products you have not launched
• Run a full clearance search before filing, since a rejected application still costs the full fee with nothing to show for it
• Keep your description under 1000 characters per class to avoid the extra character surcharge
• If budget is the main constraint, register the word mark first and add a logo application later once revenue supports it

Trademark Cost vs Patent Cost vs Copyright Cost

Since trademarks, patents, and copyrights are often confused with one another, it helps to see how their costs compare at a glance.

Trademarks are the only one of the three that require ongoing renewal fees to remain active indefinitely; copyrights last for decades without renewal, and patents expire automatically after a fixed term with no renewal option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to trademark a name?

The USPTO base filing fee is 350 dollars per class of goods or services. The final cost depends on how many classes you need and whether your application uses standard ID Manual language or triggers any surcharges.

How much does it cost to trademark a logo?

The same 350 dollars per class base fee applies to a logo, since a logo is filed as a design mark. If you also want the name protected separately as a word mark, that requires a second application.

How much does it cost to trademark a business name?

It follows the standard per class USPTO fee structure. A business name used across multiple classes of goods or services costs 350 dollars for each additional class beyond the first.

What is the cheapest way to trademark something?

File a single class application yourself using the USPTO’s pre approved ID Manual descriptions, and submit a complete, accurate application to avoid the 100 dollar insufficient information surcharge and the 200 dollar custom description surcharge.

Can I trademark a name myself without an attorney?

Yes, U.S. domiciled applicants can file directly with the USPTO. Foreign domiciled applicants are required to be represented by a U.S. licensed attorney under current USPTO rules.

Are USPTO trademark fees refundable if my application is rejected?

No. Filing fees are non refundable whether your application is approved, refused, or voluntarily abandoned.

How much does it cost to maintain a trademark long term?

Roughly 650 dollars per class in USPTO fees between years 5 and 10 combined, and another 650 dollars per class every 10 years after that for renewal, on top of the original 350 dollar filing fee.

Should I trademark my business name or form an LLC first?

They protect different things and most businesses eventually need both. An LLC protects your personal liability and registers your business structure with the state. A trademark protects your brand name, logo, or slogan from being used by competitors, and operates independently of your business entity type.

How much do trademark attorneys charge?

Flat fee packages for a straightforward single class application commonly range from 800 to 2500 dollars including the government fee. Hourly rates for more complex matters, such as office action responses or oppositions, typically run 300 to 400 dollars per hour.

Does trademark registration cost more for multiple classes?

Yes. Each class you add requires its own full base filing fee. There is no bulk discount for filing in multiple classes on the USPTO fee schedule.

How much does an international trademark cost?

For a U.S. based applicant, expect a 100 dollar per class USPTO certification fee plus WIPO and country specific fees that vary by how many countries you designate, commonly totaling 1500 dollars or more for a handful of countries.

Is trademark registration cost tax deductible?

Initial filing and legal fees are generally capitalized and amortized over 15 years as a Section 197 intangible asset under IRS rules, while ongoing renewal and enforcement costs are usually deductible in the year they are paid. Confirm treatment with a tax professional for your specific situation.

The Bottom Line

Trademark cost is predictable once you separate it into its real components: a 350 dollar per class government filing fee, optional professional fees for filing help, and a maintenance schedule of roughly 650 dollars per class every five to ten years to keep the registration alive. The businesses that end up overpaying are usually the ones that skip the clearance search, file a vague description to save time, or forget that a rejected application still costs full price. Understanding the full fee picture before you file is the single best way to protect your brand without any expensive surprises later.

Sources

• USPTO: How much does it cost
• USPTO official fee schedule (PDF)
• USPTO: Summary of 2025 trademark fee changes
• USPTO: Trademark fee information
• USPTO: Goods and services / trademark classes
• USPTO: Common problems and reasons for refusal
• USPTO: Madrid Protocol for international registration
• WIPO Madrid fee calculator
• U.S. Copyright Office fee schedule
• IRS Publication 535, Business Expenses
• Northwest Registered Agent: state vs federal trademark fees