Understand your U.S. trademark,
step by step.
Plain-language guides, working calculators, and searchable reference data for registering and maintaining a U.S. trademark — built for founders filing on their own and for teams who just want a straight answer.
Start here
Four paths through the site. If you are filing this week, start with the fee calculator and the pre-filing checklist.
Trademark Basics
What a trademark protects, how it differs from copyright and patent, and whether you're eligible to file.
Read the basics →Fee Calculator
Estimate your USPTO filing cost by class count and how you describe your goods before you start.
Calculate fees →Office Action Guide
Decode what the examining attorney is actually objecting to, and what response moves it forward.
Understand refusals →Goods & Services ID
Copy the exact wording the USPTO has already accepted for your goods, and skip the $200 per-class free-form fee.
Find wording →Latest updates
Fee schedule rebuilt for the 2025 restructure
TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard are gone. The calculator now models the $350 per-class base fee plus the $100 insufficient-information and $200 free-form identification surcharges.
Read →Maintenance fees updated
Section 8 declarations, Section 9 renewals, and the combined 5-10 year filing now use the post-January 2025 amounts ($325 / $325 / $650 per class).
Read →Complete Nice Classification and ID Manual published
All 10,123 official WIPO Nice entries and all 75,121 USPTO ID Manual entries are now published in full, one page per international class.
Read →Scam alert: official-looking renewal notices
Private firms mail renewal and “publication” notices that look like USPTO invoices. The USPTO does not bill you by mail for maintenance filings.
Read →Questions before you file
Is this site the USPTO?
No. USTM Guide is an independent reference project. It is not affiliated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and nothing here is legal advice. File at uspto.gov and confirm every figure against the official fee schedule before you pay.
How much does it cost to file a U.S. trademark in 2026?
Applications under Section 1 or Section 44 filed electronically carry a base fee of $350 per class. Using free-form wording instead of the USPTO ID Manual adds $200 per class, and an incomplete application can trigger a $100 per class surcharge.
How long does registration take?
A clean use-based application typically reaches registration in about 10 to 14 months. Intent-to-use applications run longer because the Notice of Allowance and Statement of Use steps sit between examination and registration.
Do I need a lawyer to file?
U.S.-domiciled filers are not required to hire one. Foreign-domiciled applicants are — they must be represented by a U.S.-licensed attorney for any filing before the USPTO.
Accuracy and limits
USTM Guide publishes general information about U.S. trademark procedure. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fee figures are gathered from published USPTO schedules and the Code of Federal Regulations; always confirm the current amount at uspto.gov before paying. The USPTO examines every application on its own facts, and the outcome of any refusal, opposition, or petition depends on evidence this site cannot see.
Figures verified against 37 C.F.R. § 2.6 and the USPTO summary of 2025 trademark fee changes, effective January 18, 2025 (WIPO-paid fees February 18, 2025).