Your logo is often the first thing customers recognize about your brand. Before a single word registers, the shape, color, and design of your mark have already made an impression. If you are asking how to trademark a logo, you are asking the right question at the right time — because logo protection works differently from protecting a brand name, and the process has specific requirements that catch many applicants off guard.

This guide walks through every step of trademarking a logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), from determining whether your design qualifies to filing the application and navigating examination.

Why Trademarking a Logo Matters

Common law rights attach to your logo the moment you use it in commerce, but those rights are limited to the geographic area where you actually operate. Federal trademark registration extends your protection nationwide — giving you presumed ownership, access to federal courts, U.S. Customs recordation to block infringing imports, and a foundation for international filings through the Madrid Protocol.

Without registration, a competitor in another state could independently adopt a confusingly similar logo and have limited obstacles. Registration prevents that.

For a broader overview, see our Trademark Basics guide.

What Makes a Logo Trademarkable?

Not every design can function as a trademark. The USPTO evaluates logo applications against the same distinctiveness standards that apply to word marks, but visual elements introduce additional considerations.

The Spectrum of Distinctiveness for Designs

Logos fall on the same spectrum of distinctiveness as word marks, but the analysis focuses on visual elements:

Highly distinctive logos use unique, original artwork unrelated to the underlying goods or services. The Apple logo (an apple for computers) and the Twitter/X bird (a stylized bird for a social platform) are arbitrary or fanciful in context.
Suggestive logos hint at the product without directly depicting it. A stylized mountain range for outdoor gear suggests adventure without literally describing backpacks.
Descriptive logos directly depict the goods or services. A pizza company using a realistic pizza slice illustration would face an uphill battle — the examiner may require proof of acquired distinctiveness before allowing registration.
Generic or commonplace designs cannot function as trademarks. Unadorned geometric shapes or basic arrows are too common to indicate a single source.

Design Elements That Strengthen a Logo

The most protectable logos share certain characteristics: original artwork (not stock imagery), distinctive stylization beyond minor variations on common shapes, consistent use across all branding, and a clear connection to source identification rather than mere decoration.

If your logo is purely decorative (an ornamental design on the front of a t-shirt, for example), the USPTO may refuse registration. Placement matters — a small logo on a shirt's breast pocket is more likely to function as a trademark than an oversized graphic across the chest.

Standard Character Mark vs. Design Mark: Which Should You File?

This is one of the most important strategic decisions in trademark filing, and many applicants get it wrong by filing only one when they need both.

Standard Character Marks (Word Marks)

A standard character mark protects the text of your brand name regardless of font, color, size, or stylization. Register ACME as a standard character mark and you can display it in any typeface, any color, uppercase or lowercase — the registration covers all variations. This provides the broadest scope of word-based protection and survives logo redesigns.

Design Marks (Logo Marks)

A design mark protects the specific visual appearance of your logo — the exact combination of shapes, stylization, and (optionally) colors that you file. It covers design elements that have no textual equivalent and prevents competitors from using confusingly similar visual marks.

The Strategic Answer: File Both

For most businesses, the strongest protection strategy is to file two separate applications: one standard character mark for the brand name and one design mark for the logo.

If budget forces you to choose one, start with the standard character mark — it provides broader protection and survives redesigns. Add the design mark when resources allow.

For a detailed comparison, see Types of Trademarks: Word Marks, Logos, Slogans, Sounds and More.

Feature	Standard Character Mark	Design Mark
Protects	Words/text only	Visual design (with or without text)
Font flexibility	Any font, any style	Exact design as filed
Color flexibility	Any color	Exact colors if claimed; any color if filed in black and white
Scope	Broadest for wording	Narrower, but covers visual identity
Survives redesign	Yes	No — must refile if logo changes
Filing cost	$350/class	$350/class
Best for	Brand names, slogans	Logos, symbols, stylized text

How to Search for Conflicting Logos Before Filing

Searching for conflicting logos is more complex than searching for word marks. A word search can catch similar spellings and phonetic matches, but logo conflicts depend on visual similarity — and that requires understanding how the USPTO categorizes visual elements.

Understanding Design Search Codes

The USPTO uses a system of approximately 1,400 six-digit design search codes to classify the visual elements in every design mark. Each code follows a three-level hierarchy:

Category (first two digits) — broad subject area (e.g., 01 = celestial bodies, 03 = animals, 05 = plants)
Division (middle two digits) — subcategory within the subject area
Section (last two digits) — specific element type

For example, if your logo contains a five-pointed star, the relevant design search code is 01.01.03 (Category 01: Celestial bodies > Division 01: Stars and comets > Section 03: Stars with five points). A logo with a running horse would be coded under 03.01.16 (Category 03: Animals > Division 01: Horses > Section 16: Horses running or jumping).

When you file a design mark application, the USPTO examining attorney assigns design search codes to your logo. These codes are then used to search for potentially conflicting marks. Understanding these codes before you file allows you to run the same searches the examiner will run.

For a comprehensive breakdown of the code system, see our guide on Design Search Codes Explained.

Where to Search

USPTO Trademark Search: You can search by design code using the Expert Search mode by entering the code (e.g., 03.01.16) with the appropriate field tag. This returns all registered and pending marks containing that visual element.

GleanMark: For a more efficient search experience, GleanMark indexes 13.9 million USPTO trademark records and lets you search across word marks and design elements simultaneously. This is particularly useful when your logo combines text and design elements, since you need to check for conflicts on both dimensions.

A Practical Search Strategy for Logos

Identify every distinct visual element in your logo (animals, geometric shapes, letters, natural elements, etc.)
Look up the corresponding design search codes for each element
Search each code in the relevant goods/services classes
Also search the text in your logo as a standard character search — word similarity matters even in design mark conflicts
Review results for visual similarity, not just identical matches — the USPTO standard is likelihood of confusion, not exact duplication

For more on conducting thorough searches, see our Free Trademark Search Guide.

Preparing Your Logo Trademark Application

Design mark applications have specific technical requirements that differ from standard character filings. Getting these right the first time avoids office actions and delays.

The Drawing: Technical Requirements

Every trademark application requires a "drawing" of the mark. For design marks, this means a digital image of your logo that meets the following specifications:

Format: JPG file
Resolution: 300-350 DPI (dots per inch)
Size: Between 250 and 944 pixels in any direction
Background: The logo must appear on a pure white background with no extraneous elements
No symbols: Do not include TM, SM, or (R) symbols in the drawing
Clean rendering: No watermarks, shadows, or artifacts — a clean digital file, not a photograph of a printout

Color Claims: To Claim or Not to Claim

This is a critical strategic decision that many applicants misunderstand.

Filing in black and white (no color claim) covers the design in any color combination — the broadest visual protection. Filing in color covers only the specific colors shown, and you must use those exact colors to maintain the registration.

Claim color when it is a distinctive, integral part of your brand identity (Tiffany blue, UPS brown), you need to distinguish from a competitor's similar design in different colors, or your logo would lose distinctiveness without its specific color scheme. File in black and white for the broadest protection, especially if you may change colors in the future.

If you claim color, your application must include:

A color drawing showing the exact colors
A color claim statement: "The color(s) [name the colors] is/are claimed as a feature of the mark."
A color location description explaining where each color appears

If black, white, or gray appear in your color drawing, you must specify whether those are claimed features or merely background/outline elements.

Mark Description

Every design mark application requires a written description of what the mark depicts. This description becomes part of the public record and helps other applicants search for conflicting marks.

Write a clear, objective description of the visual elements. Do not include marketing language or subjective characterizations.

Good: "The mark consists of a stylized wolf's head facing left, with pointed ears and an open mouth, above the word PACKWISE in a sans-serif font."

Bad: "The mark consists of a powerful, dynamic wolf representing the strength and agility of our products alongside our premium brand name."

Specimens of Use

A specimen shows the USPTO that you are actually using your logo in commerce. For goods, acceptable specimens include photographs of the logo on the product, packaging, or labels, and website screenshots showing the logo with a purchase option. For services, show the logo in advertising materials, website headers, or signage connected to the services offered.

File requirements: JPG (under 5 MB) or PDF (under 25 MB). The specimen must show the logo as filed — the overall commercial impression must match your drawing.

For a deep dive on specimen strategy, see our Trademark Specimens and Drawings Guide.

Filing Your Logo Trademark Application

Where to File

As of January 2025, the USPTO consolidated its previous TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard filing systems into a single application through Trademark Center (formerly TEAS). All electronic applications now go through this unified system.

For a walkthrough of the new system, see our TEAS Plus vs Trademark Center Filing Comparison.

Filing Fees

The current fee structure (effective January 18, 2025):

Fee Type	Amount
Base application fee	$350 per class of goods/services
Insufficient information surcharge	$100 per class (if application is incomplete)
Custom identification surcharge	$200 per 1,000 characters beyond the first 1,000
Section 1(b) Intent-to-Use filing	$350 per class + $150 Statement of Use fee later

If your logo is used with products in multiple classes (for example, Class 25 for clothing and Class 18 for bags), you pay the base fee for each class. A two-class application costs $700.

Use-Based vs. Intent-to-Use Filing

Section 1(a) — Use in commerce: File this if you are already using the logo in commerce. You must submit a specimen with your application.

Section 1(b) — Intent to use: File this if you have a bona fide intention to use the logo but have not started yet. You will need to file a Statement of Use (with a specimen) later, and pay an additional $150 per class at that time.

Goods and Services Identification

Select your goods and services from the USPTO's ID Manual (pre-approved descriptions) whenever possible. Custom descriptions trigger the $200 surcharge per 1,000-character increment and are more likely to receive examiner objections.

Be specific and accurate. The logo will only be protected in connection with the goods and services listed in your application. Overly broad descriptions will be narrowed by the examiner; overly narrow descriptions may leave gaps in your protection.

The Examination Process for Design Marks

After filing, your application enters the USPTO examination queue. The current average processing time from filing to first examiner action is approximately 8-10 months, though this varies.

What the Examining Attorney Reviews

For design marks, the examiner evaluates: likelihood of confusion with existing marks (using both word similarity and design search code analysis), descriptiveness, functionality (functional designs cannot be trademarked), specimen adequacy, drawing compliance with technical specifications, and whether the written description matches the visual drawing.

Office Actions

If the examiner identifies issues, you will receive an office action. Common issues for design marks include:

Section 2(d) refusal (likelihood of confusion): Another mark is too visually similar in related goods/services. You may argue differences in overall commercial impression, consumer sophistication, or specificity of the goods.
Description amendment required: The examiner wants a more precise description of the visual elements.
Specimen refusal: The specimen does not show the logo used as a source identifier (often because it appears decorative).
Color claim issues: The color description does not match the drawing, or black/white/gray features were not addressed.

You have three months to respond (extendable to six months with a $125 fee). No response means the application is abandoned.

For a step-by-step breakdown of what happens after filing, see The Trademark Examination Process.

Common Logo Trademark Mistakes

These errors appear repeatedly in design mark applications:

Filing only a design mark when a word mark is needed. If your logo contains text, registering only the design mark means your protection depends on that exact visual rendering. A logo redesign leaves you unprotected. Consider a separate standard character filing.
Claiming color unnecessarily. Unless color is genuinely a distinctive brand feature, filing in black and white gives broader protection. Many applicants claim color reflexively — this narrows protection without strategic benefit.
Using stock art or clip art. Others have the right to use the same source material, and the USPTO may find stock elements lack distinctiveness. Invest in original artwork.
Submitting a poor-quality drawing. Blurry images or files below 300 DPI will trigger an office action. Submit a clean, high-resolution digital file.
Neglecting design search codes in pre-filing searches. Searching only for text misses visual conflicts. A competitor with a similar design element but different text can still block your application.
Treating the logo as decoration in specimens. A logo across the front of a t-shirt may be ornamental, not a trademark. Show the logo where consumers expect brand identifiers: hang tags, website headers, packaging labels.
Filing an inconsistent mark. The logo in your drawing, specimen, and actual commerce use must match. Inconsistency creates grounds for cancellation.

Cost and Timeline Summary

Here is a consolidated view of what trademarking a logo costs and how long it takes:

Stage	Cost (per class)	Timeline
Pre-filing trademark search	$0 (self-service) to $500+ (professional)	1-3 weeks
Application filing (base fee)	$350	Day 0
Insufficient info surcharge (if applicable)	$100	At filing
Intent-to-Use Statement of Use fee	$150 (only if filing under Section 1(b))	Within 6 months of Notice of Allowance
First examiner action	—	8-10 months after filing
Office action response extension	$125 (optional)	If needed
Publication for opposition	—	~1 month after approval
Registration certificate issued	—	2-3 months after publication (if no opposition)
Total estimated timeline	—	12-18 months from filing to registration
Total minimum cost (one class)	$350 (use-based) or $500 (intent-to-use)	—

These costs are per class and apply to each separate application. If you file both a standard character mark and a design mark in one class, your minimum application cost is $700.

Maintaining Your Logo Trademark After Registration

Registration is not the finish line. You must actively maintain and use your mark:

Sections 8 and 9 filings: Between years 5-6 after registration, file a Declaration of Use (Section 8, $325/class) and renew every 10 years (Section 9, $325/class).
Consistent use: Use the logo in the form shown in the registration. Minor stylistic updates are generally fine, but significant redesigns may require a new application.
Monitor for infringement: Registration gives you the right to enforce, but you are responsible for policing your mark. The USPTO does not monitor the marketplace for you.

GleanMark can help with the monitoring component. With 13.9 million USPTO trademark records indexed and alerts that run twice daily, you will know the same business day when a new application is filed that may conflict with your registered logo.

Conclusion

Trademarking a logo is a more nuanced process than registering a word mark. Design search codes, drawing specifications, color claim strategy, and specimen requirements all introduce considerations that do not exist for standard character filings. But the core principle is straightforward: protect the visual identity that your customers recognize, and do it properly the first time.

The strongest approach for most businesses is to file both a standard character mark for the brand name and a design mark for the logo. Start with a thorough search that covers both textual and visual conflicts, prepare your application materials to meet the USPTO's technical requirements, and monitor your mark after registration to enforce the rights you have earned.

Your logo represents your brand's first impression. Federal registration ensures that first impression stays yours.

How to Trademark a Logo: Complete Design Protection Guide