The USPTO charges $350 per class to file a federal trademark application. If you file on your own in one class and pick your goods and services description from the USPTO’s ID Manual, $350 is the full answer to how much it costs to trademark a name. Surcharges, extra classes, intent-to-use filings, and attorney fees can push the total from $350 to $5,000 or more.
The Short Answer: Government Fees Plus Optional Legal Fees
You pay government fees to the USPTO whether you file alone or with help, and legal fees apply only if you hire a trademark attorney.
| Cost | Amount | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Base application fee | $350 per class | At filing |
| Surcharges | $100 to $200 or more per class | At filing, or later if the examiner assesses them |
| Statement of Use (intent-to-use only) | $150 per class | After the Notice of Allowance |
| Extension to file a Statement of Use | $125 per class, per extension | Every six months until you file the Statement of Use |
| Section 8 declaration | $325 per class | Between years 5 and 6 after registration |
| Section 8 and Section 9 renewal | $650 per class | Between years 9 and 10, then every 10 years |
| Attorney fees (optional) | About $600 to $2,500 to file | Set by the attorney |
A class is one of the 45 categories the USPTO uses to group goods and services. You pay every government fee once for each class your application covers.
USPTO Filing Fees Per Class
The $350 base fee applies to every new application filed on a use basis (you already sell under the name) or an intent-to-use basis (you plan to). It also applies to applications filed under Section 44, which covers owners relying on a foreign application or registration.
Each class of goods or services you list adds another $350: a coffee roaster that sells bagged beans (Class 30) and runs a café (Class 43) needs two classes, so the base fee is $700. If the same roaster adds branded mugs (Class 21), the base fee rises to $1,050.
Pick only the classes you sell in or have a real plan to sell in. You must eventually prove use in each class, and every class you keep costs money again at each maintenance deadline. The guide to picking the right trademark class walks through how to choose.
Surcharges That Raise the Filing Fee
The USPTO adds three surcharges on top of the $350 base fee. You can avoid all three by filing a complete application and choosing your goods and services descriptions from the ID Manual.
| Surcharge | Amount | What triggers it |
|---|---|---|
| Insufficient information | $100 per class | The application is missing required information, such as the owner’s domicile address, legal entity type, required declarations, or a translation of non-English wording |
| Free-form text | $200 per class | You type your own goods and services description instead of selecting one from the ID Manual |
| Each additional 1,000 characters | $200 per extra 1,000 characters, per class | A free-form description in one class runs past 1,000 characters |
The surcharges stack: a single class with a 3,000-character custom description costs $350 plus $200 for free-form text plus $400 for the two extra blocks of characters, for a total of $950. The examiner can also assess a surcharge during examination if it was missed at filing.
Fees After Filing: Statement of Use and Extensions
A use-based application has no required government fees between filing and registration. Intent-to-use applications have more fees, because you must prove use before the mark registers.
After an intent-to-use application clears examination and publication, the USPTO issues a Notice of Allowance. You then have six months to file a Statement of Use, which is a sworn statement, with a specimen, showing the mark in use in commerce.
If you are not selling yet, you can buy more time with six-month extensions. You can file up to five extensions, for a maximum of 36 months from the Notice of Allowance. From the second extension on, you must explain your ongoing efforts to start using the mark.
| Intent-to-use filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Statement of Use | $150 per class |
| Amendment to allege use (proof of use filed before approval for publication) | $150 per class |
| Six-month extension to file a Statement of Use | $125 per class, per extension |
| Petition to revive an abandoned application | $250 |
A two-class intent-to-use application that needs all five extensions pays $1,250 in extension fees alone. The timeline guide on how long it takes to get a trademark shows where the Notice of Allowance falls in the process.
Maintenance and Renewal Fees
A registration stays alive only if you file maintenance documents on schedule.
| Filing | Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Section 8 declaration of use | $325 per class | Between the 5th and 6th year after registration |
| Section 15 declaration of incontestability (optional) | $250 per class | Within one year after any 5 years of continuous use following registration |
| Section 8 declaration plus Section 9 renewal | $325 + $325 = $650 per class | Between the 9th and 10th year, and every 10 years after that |
| Grace period fee | $100 per class, for each of Section 8 and Section 9 | Within six months after a missed deadline |
A one-class registration kept for 20 years costs $325 at year 6, $650 at year 10, and $650 at year 20, or $1,625 in maintenance fees after the original $350. The article on how long a trademark lasts covers the deadlines and what happens if you miss one.
Cost to Trademark a Name vs. a Logo vs. a Phrase
The government fee is the same for a name, a logo, or a phrase: $350 per class, per application.
The cost difference comes from how many applications you file. Each application can cover only one mark and one drawing, so a name and a logo are two applications. The USPTO has two drawing types:
- A standard character drawing covers the words alone, in any font, style, size, or color. This is the broadest protection for a name or a slogan.
- A special form drawing covers a logo, a stylized font, or a design exactly as shown.
If you want to trademark a name and a logo in one class, the government fees are $700: $350 for the name in standard characters and $350 for the logo. If the budget covers only one application, the name in standard characters usually goes first, because it protects the wording in any logo you use later. A slogan or catchphrase is its own application at $350 per class.
Attorney Fees on Top of Government Fees
Trademark attorneys usually charge flat fees for filing work, and the USPTO fees are extra. Based on fee schedules that US trademark firms publish, typical ranges are:
| Attorney service | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Application preparation and filing, one class | $600 to $1,000 |
| Clearance search, opinion, and filing package | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Statement of Use | About $500 per class |
| Renewal filing | About $600 per class |
The breakdown of what a trademark attorney costs explains what each flat fee covers, what office action responses cost, and how to compare quotes.
If you plan to file on your own, the guide on whether you can trademark a name for free covers the lowest-cost route and when it goes wrong.
Sample Total Budgets for Three Small Businesses
These budgets use the USPTO fees above and the typical attorney fees from the previous table. They cover filing through registration, before any refusals.
A Consultant Filing a Name in One Class
A consultant who already sells services under her business name files in Class 35 on a use basis and picks the description from the ID Manual.
| Item | Filing alone | With an attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Base application, one class | $350 | $350 |
| Attorney search and filing package | $0 | About $2,000 |
| Total to registration | $350 | About $2,350 |
A Bakery Filing a Name and a Logo
A bakery that sells packaged cookies (Class 30) and runs a storefront café (Class 43) files its name and its logo as two separate applications, each in two classes.
| Item | Filing alone | With an attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Name application, two classes | $700 | $700 |
| Logo application, two classes | $700 | $700 |
| Attorney filing fees, four classes | $0 | $2,400 to $4,000 |
| Total to registration | $1,400 | $3,800 to $5,400 |
A Startup Filing Before Launch
A software startup files an intent-to-use application for its name in Class 9 (downloadable software) and Class 42 (software as a service). It needs one extension before launch.
| Item | Filing alone | With an attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Base application, two classes | $700 | $700 |
| One extension, two classes | $250 | $250 |
| Statement of Use, two classes | $300 | $300 |
| Attorney filing, two classes, plus Statement of Use | $0 | $2,200 to $3,000 |
| Total to registration | $1,250 | $3,450 to $4,250 |
Add a surcharge to any of these budgets if you write a custom description or leave out required information. Refusals are the biggest unplanned cost: a substantive office action response from an attorney often costs more than the original filing.
To turn a budget into a filing, follow the steps in how to trademark a business name, starting with a clearance search before you pay the $350.