Registering a trademark looks deceptively cheap until you read the fine print. The number most people quote — around $350 — is only the federal filing fee the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) charges per class of goods or services. That fee buys you nothing but the right to have an examiner review your application, and it is non-refundable even if your mark is refused. The real cost of a registration that actually goes through depends on how many classes you file in, whether you pay a professional to search and draft it, and whether the examiner pushes back.
There are three common ways to file: do it yourself (cheapest, riskiest), use an online filing service, or hire a trademark attorney for a flat fee. This guide breaks down what each route costs in 2026, the USPTO fees you cannot avoid, the ongoing maintenance costs most people forget, and how to keep the total down. The calculator below estimates the all-in price for your specific situation.
Free Trademark Cost Calculator
Pick how you'll file, how many classes your mark needs, and whether to include a professional clearance search. You'll get a typical first-year estimate and a likely range using common 2026 USPTO and attorney figures. This is a planning estimate — your actual cost depends on your provider's fee and whether the examiner raises an objection.
Estimates use typical 2026 pricing: USPTO base fee ~$350/class, filing services ~$200–$400, attorney flat fees ~$500–$1,500 for a single-class search & application (plus ~$300–$500 per extra class), comprehensive search ~$300–$800, and an office-action response ~$300–$1,500. Government fees are non-refundable.
The Three Ways to File (and What Each Costs)
Every trademark application ends in the same place — the USPTO register — but the price and the odds of getting there differ a lot depending on who prepares the filing. You are really paying for two things: the government fee (fixed) and the expertise that keeps your application from being refused (variable).
| Route | What you pay | Typical all-in (1 class) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY (pro se) | USPTO fee only; you do the search, classification & drafting | ~$350 | A clearly available word mark, simple goods, tolerance for risk |
| Filing service | Service fee + USPTO fee; software-guided forms, limited legal advice | $550–$750 | Wanting help with the forms but a tight budget |
| Trademark attorney | Flat legal fee + USPTO fee; full search, classification, drafting & OA handling | $850–$2,000 | Anything with conflict risk, multiple classes, or real brand value |
The gap between $350 and $2,000 isn't markup for the same product — it's the difference in how likely your application is to survive. The USPTO reports that a large share of applications draw at least one examiner objection, and a refusal forfeits the non-refundable government fee. An attorney's flat fee buys a proper search, the correct class and description, and someone to answer the examiner, which is why an attorney-filed mark is far more likely to register on the first try.
2026 USPTO Trademark Fees (the Costs You Can't Avoid)
These are the federal fees paid directly to the government, separate from any attorney or service charge. They are charged per class, so a brand that covers, say, both clothing and a clothing store service is paying twice. Confirm the current figure on the USPTO fee schedule before you file — the office adjusted its fee structure recently.
| USPTO filing | Approx. 2026 fee (per class) | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Base application (electronic) | ~$350 | At filing; non-refundable |
| Custom (free-form) ID surcharge | +~$200 | If you don't use a pre-approved description |
| Statement of Use (intent-to-use marks) | ~$150 | Once you start using the mark in commerce |
| Section 8 Declaration of Use | ~$225+ | Between years 5 and 6 after registration |
| Section 8 & 9 renewal | ~$525+ | Every 10 years to keep the registration alive |
Notice that the application fee is only the beginning. The single most expensive mistake is filing in the wrong class or with a flawed description, because the USPTO keeps your fee and you start over. Using the USPTO's pre-approved Trademark ID Manual descriptions avoids the free-form surcharge and reduces the chance of an objection.
What You're Actually Paying For
A trademark bill is a stack of line items, and only the USPTO application fee is truly mandatory. Knowing what each piece does — and which you can skip — is how you keep the total in check:
- USPTO application fee (~$350/class, required). The government charge to examine your mark. Paid per class, non-refundable, due at filing.
- Clearance search ($0–$800). A free USPTO knockout search catches obvious conflicts; a comprehensive search by an attorney or firm ($300–$800) checks federal, state and common-law uses. The cheapest insurance against a refusal.
- Attorney flat fee ($500–$1,500, single class). Covers search review, choosing the right class, drafting the description and filing. Add roughly $300–$500 for each additional class.
- Filing-service fee ($200–$400). Software-guided form prep with limited legal guidance — cheaper than an attorney, but it won't strategize around a conflict.
- Office-action response ($300–$1,500+). If the examiner objects (very common), an attorney's reply argues your case. DIY filers must handle this themselves or risk abandonment.
- Maintenance filings ($225–$525+ per class, recurring). The Section 8 declaration (years 5–6) and the Section 8 & 9 renewal (every 10 years) keep the registration in force.
If your mark is clearly available and your goods are simple, the right plain-English references can replace a chunk of attorney time on the parts you can handle yourself. These are the resources we'd hand a founder filing a straightforward word mark.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links are affiliate links; the price you pay is unchanged. Self-help references suit simple, clearly available word marks — use a licensed trademark attorney for conflicts, multi-class brands, foreign-applicant filings, or anything with real commercial value.
How to Lower the Cost of a Trademark
Most trademark spending is avoidable rework caused by filing too fast. These steps keep your total closer to the floor than to a five-figure brand dispute:
- Run a free knockout search first. The USPTO's public search and a quick web check catch obvious conflicts before you spend a cent on filing.
- Pick a distinctive, not descriptive, name. Invented or arbitrary marks register easily; descriptive ones draw refusals and legal bills. The name you choose is the biggest cost lever.
- Use pre-approved descriptions. Selecting goods from the USPTO Trademark ID Manual avoids the free-form surcharge and reduces objections.
- File only the classes you actually use. Each class is another ~$350. Don't pad your filing with classes you have no real product in.
- Get a flat-fee quote, not hourly. Most trademark attorneys offer a fixed price for a search-and-file package — ask exactly what's included and whether an office-action response costs extra.
- Calendar your maintenance deadlines. Missing the year 5–6 Section 8 or the 10-year renewal cancels the mark and forces you to refile from scratch.
Handling your brand admin yourself?
The Legal AI Pro Pack is a curated library of attorney-tested AI prompts for organizing filings, drafting plain-language descriptions and small-business legal admin — built to save hours, not replace professional judgment.
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Trademark Cost FAQ
How much does it cost to register a trademark in 2026?
Expect roughly $350 to $2,000 all-in for a single-class mark. The floor is the USPTO filing fee of about $350 per class, which you pay no matter how you file. A trademark attorney's flat fee for a search and single-class application adds about $500 to $1,500, putting a typical attorney-handled registration around $850 to $2,000. Filing services sit in the middle. Extra classes, a comprehensive search, or an examiner objection raise the total.
What is the USPTO trademark filing fee?
In 2026 the base USPTO electronic application fee is about $350 per class of goods or services. One class is about $350; two classes about $700. Surcharges can apply if you write a free-form description instead of using the USPTO's pre-approved ID Manual. The fee is non-refundable even if your mark is refused, which is why a search before filing matters.
Do I need a trademark attorney or can I file myself?
US-based applicants may file themselves and pay only the USPTO fee, but it's risky: most applications draw an examiner objection, and a wrong class, weak description or conflict can forfeit the non-refundable fee. Foreign-domiciled applicants are required to use a licensed US attorney. For anything beyond a clearly available word mark, an attorney's flat fee usually pays for itself.
What are the ongoing costs of keeping a trademark?
A registration isn't a one-time purchase. Between years 5 and 6 you file a Section 8 Declaration of Use (about $225+ per class), and you renew every 10 years with a combined Section 8 and 9 filing (roughly $525+ per class), plus any attorney fee to prepare them. Missing a deadline cancels the registration, so calendar these recurring filings.
How much does a trademark search cost?
A free knockout search on the USPTO database costs nothing. A comprehensive clearance search — checking federal, state and common-law uses — typically runs $300 to $800 when an attorney or search firm performs and interprets it. It's the cheapest insurance available: finding a conflict before filing saves the non-refundable USPTO fee and the much larger cost of rebranding.
Why did one trademark quote cost far more than another?
Because quotes bundle different things. A $350 figure is usually the bare USPTO fee; a $500 to $1,500 flat fee adds an attorney's search, classification and drafting; and a $2,000 to $3,500 quote from a coastal IP firm often includes a comprehensive search, multiple classes and office-action handling. Always ask what's covered: number of classes, whether a search is included, and whether responding to an examiner costs extra.