GleanMark · USPTO guide

The USPTO trademark guide

A plain-English map of uspto.gov for trademarks: which document you need and where to find it, what each filing asks for, the form to file it and what it costs.

Checked against USPTO's rules and website on October 12, 2026.

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

TSDR gives you one mark at a time. GleanMark's USPTO Hub pulls official USPTO copies for a whole list of marks, and checks each file against the copy USPTO sent.

Paste up to 50 serial numbers, upload a CSV or Excel file, or fill the list from one of your portfolios.
Tick the documents you need, in any mix.
Download one PDF with each mark's documents together, plus a zip with every file and a manifest.

Status reportsCurrent status, owner and goods, as USPTO prints it
Registration certificatesRegistered marks only
SpecimensThe examples of use the owner filed
Full file historyEverything in TSDR for the mark; slower

Included in the Professional and Max plans, and in Professional trials. These are official copies, not certified copies.

See plans Sign in

Which document do I need?

Four documents cover almost every request. Pick by who will read it.

Status report

USPTO's record of the mark today: status, owner, goods and services, key dates and file history.

Use it when

Putting a registration on the record. Office Action responses need copies from USPTO's records, not a list of numbers; the Board usually wants a current copy showing status and owner.
Checking a mark before clearing a name or buying a brand.
Telling a client where their application stands.

On TSDR: the Status tab; download it as a PDF.

Registration certificate

Issued the day the mark registered. Since May 24, 2022, the electronic certificate is the official one.

Use it when

A marketplace, licensee, distributor or investor wants proof of registration.
A client wants it for their records.

Shows the registration as it stood when the certificate issued. For later changes (a new owner, a renewal, deleted goods), use a status report.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, as Registration Certificate. Pending applications have none.

Paper presentation copy, for registrations issued on or after August 13, 2013: Trademark Center, $25 (one free if you filed before May 24, 2022 and registered on or after it). Certified copy with status and title, for any registration: Certified Copy Center, $15. The official copies on this page are not certified copies. USPTO: receiving your registration

Specimens

The examples of use the owner filed: labels, tags, packaging, product photos, web order pages, ads for services.

Use it when

Seeing how another owner actually uses its mark.
Preparing a Statement of Use or maintenance filing, and seeing what USPTO accepted before.
Checking a specimen that looks mocked up or edited. USPTO refuses those, and a fake one can end an application.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, filed with the application, Statement of Use or maintenance filing.

Full file history

Every document USPTO has in TSDR for the mark: filings, Office Actions and notices. Files for older marks can be incomplete.

Use it when

Taking over a matter from another firm.
Due diligence before buying or licensing a brand.
Preparing a Board case, or seeing how an examiner handled a similar mark.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, everything listed with dates.

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Every document above is free on USPTO's site, one mark at a time.

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

Open TSDR (tsdr.uspto.gov) and enter a serial or registration number.
The Status tab shows the official record. Download it as a PDF to keep a copy.
The Documents tab lists every filing and notice; tick the ones you want and choose Download PDF.
For a registration, the Maintenance tab shows the next filing due.

GleanMark's USPTO Hub does this for up to 50 marks at once and checks every file. Everything else is under USPTO sites.

What each filing needs

What each form asks for, so you can gather it first, and the form to file. USPTO forms ask you to sign in with a USPTO.gov account. Most fees are per class.

Getting registered

You will need

A USPTO.gov account with your identity verified: a one-time step, online through ID.me or on paper.
Owner's legal name, entity type, and citizenship or state or country of organization.
Owner's domicile address and email. The domicile address stays out of public view if you also give a different mailing address. Treat the email as public: USPTO hides it only while an attorney represents you.
The mark: standard characters for words, or an image for a logo.
Goods and services by class, ideally picked from the ID Manual (your own wording costs $200 per class).
A filing basis: in use now (one specimen per class, plus first-use dates anywhere and in commerce), intent to use, or a foreign application or registration.
A signed statement that the facts are true.
Owners domiciled outside the U.S. need a U.S.-licensed attorney.

Fee: $350 per class, plus per-class surcharges: $100 for missing information, $200 for wording not from the ID Manual, $200 for each extra block of up to 1,000 characters. Madrid filings designating the U.S. pay $600 per class through WIPO instead.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: pre-filing checklist USPTO: what stays private USPTO: identity verification USPTO: application surcharges USPTO: how long each stage takes USPTO: free Trademark Basics Boot Camp

You will need

An answer to every issue raised: argument, amendment, disclaimer, new specimen, or a mix.
Evidence attached as copies; for other registrations, copies from USPTO's records, not a list.
The owner's or attorney's signature.

Fee: None on time; $125 to extend an application's deadline.

File it:Response to Office Action Request more time (Trademark Center)Response after registration

Office Action Decoder USPTO: responding to Office Actions

The first extension needs no reason; later ones must show good cause (a reason USPTO accepts).

You will need

One specimen per class.
Dates of first use anywhere and in commerce.
The goods and services in use; delete or divide out the rest.
A signed statement.

Fee: $150 per class. Each 6-month extension: $125 per class.

File it:Statement of Use Extension (Trademark Center)

USPTO: specimens

Keeping it registered

Madrid Protocol registrations file Section 71 instead.

You will need

A current specimen for each class.
The goods and services still in use; delete the rest.
Or, if special circumstances stopped use, an explanation (excusable nonuse).
A signed statement.

Fee: $325 per class, plus $100 per class in the grace period. Deleting goods after you file costs $250 per class, so delete them in the declaration.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Limits how a registration can be challenged. Principal Register only; often filed with Section 8 (or Section 71 for Madrid registrations). Filed in Trademark Center.

You will need

A statement of 5 consecutive years of continuous use after registration.
A statement that no final decision went against the owner's rights in the mark, and none is pending.
The goods and services the statement covers.

Fee: $250 per class.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Madrid Protocol registrations file a Section 71 declaration on the same U.S. schedule, and renew the international registration with WIPO on its own schedule.

You will need

A current specimen for each class.
The goods and services still in use; delete the rest.
A signed statement.

Fee: $650 per class ($325 each for Sections 8 and 9), plus $100 per class per section in the grace period.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Changing owners

USPTO records transfers; it does not approve them. Recording isn't required, but an unrecorded transfer can lose to a later buyer who didn't know of it unless recorded within 3 months or before that purchase, and an application registers in the new owner's name only once it is recorded. An intent-to-use application can't be assigned before use is alleged, except to a successor to the business. Madrid-based marks are transferred through WIPO.

You will need

Old and new owners' names.
The serial or registration numbers.
The transfer type (assignment, merger, name change), its date, and a copy of the document.

Fee: $40 for the first mark, $25 for each additional mark in the same document.

File it:Assignment Center

USPTO: changing ownership

USPTO fees at a glance

Per class unless noted, filed online, as of October 12, 2026.

Getting registered

New application (base fee)Paid for each class of goods or services when you file a new application in Trademark Center. Madrid filings designating the U.S. pay $600 per class through WIPO instead.: $350
Surcharge: missing informationAdded per class when the application is missing certain required details, such as domicile or entity information. An examiner can also charge it during examination.: $100
Surcharge: wording not from the ID ManualAdded per class when you write your own description of goods or services instead of picking entries from the ID Manual.: $200
Surcharge: each extra 1,000 charactersAdded per class when a class has any wording of your own and its full goods-and-services text runs past 1,000 characters: $200 for each extra block of up to 1,000. ID Manual entries in that class count too.: $200
Office Action deadline extension (per request)Buys 3 more months to respond to an Office Action on an application. One extension per Office Action, charged per request, not per class.: $125
Statement of UsePer class, filed once an intent-to-use application is allowed and the mark is in use.: $150
Statement of Use extensionPer class, for each extra 6 months to file the Statement of Use.: $125

Keeping it registered

Section 8 declarationPer class, declaring the mark is still in use: between years 5 and 6, and with every 10-year renewal. Madrid registrations file Section 71 instead.: $325
Section 9 renewalPer class, the 10-year renewal itself, filed together with a Section 8. Not used for Madrid registrations, which renew with WIPO.: $325
Section 15 declarationPer class, the optional declaration of incontestability.: $250
Grace-period surcharge (per section)Per class, for each of Section 8 and Section 9, when filed in the 6 months after the deadline.: $100

Hover a fee for what it pays for. Paper filings cost more. Check the current fee schedule

Guides

Longer reads from GleanMark Insights.

How to trademark a nameFrom search to registration.TEAS Plus vs Trademark CenterWhat changed, and what is still filed in TEAS.USPTO fee changes: avoiding surchargesThe 2025 surcharges, and how to avoid them.The ID ManualGoods and services wording USPTO accepts.Specimens and drawingsWhat the USPTO accepts, and why it refuses.What happens after filingExamination step by step.What an Office Action isHow examiners decide, in plain English.Section 8 and 9 deadlinesKeeping a registration alive.TSDR status labels in plain EnglishWhat each of the 15 labels means, and when to act.Keeping your home address privateWhat the USPTO makes public, and how to keep your address out of it.Filing from outside the U.S.The five filing routes, and when each one fits.Spotting fake USPTO noticesOfficial-looking letters that are not.

General guidance, checked against uspto.gov on October 12, 2026. Not legal advice; fees and deadlines change, so confirm before you file.

GleanMark · USPTO guide

The USPTO trademark guide

A plain-English map of uspto.gov for trademarks: which document you need and where to find it, what each filing asks for, the form to file it and what it costs.

Checked against USPTO's rules and website on October 12, 2026.

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

TSDR gives you one mark at a time. GleanMark's USPTO Hub pulls official USPTO copies for a whole list of marks, and checks each file against the copy USPTO sent.

Paste up to 50 serial numbers, upload a CSV or Excel file, or fill the list from one of your portfolios.
Tick the documents you need, in any mix.
Download one PDF with each mark's documents together, plus a zip with every file and a manifest.

Status reportsCurrent status, owner and goods, as USPTO prints it
Registration certificatesRegistered marks only
SpecimensThe examples of use the owner filed
Full file historyEverything in TSDR for the mark; slower

Included in the Professional and Max plans, and in Professional trials. These are official copies, not certified copies.

See plans Sign in

Which document do I need?

Four documents cover almost every request. Pick by who will read it.

Status report

USPTO's record of the mark today: status, owner, goods and services, key dates and file history.

Use it when

Putting a registration on the record. Office Action responses need copies from USPTO's records, not a list of numbers; the Board usually wants a current copy showing status and owner.
Checking a mark before clearing a name or buying a brand.
Telling a client where their application stands.

On TSDR: the Status tab; download it as a PDF.

Registration certificate

Issued the day the mark registered. Since May 24, 2022, the electronic certificate is the official one.

Use it when

A marketplace, licensee, distributor or investor wants proof of registration.
A client wants it for their records.

Shows the registration as it stood when the certificate issued. For later changes (a new owner, a renewal, deleted goods), use a status report.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, as Registration Certificate. Pending applications have none.

Specimens

The examples of use the owner filed: labels, tags, packaging, product photos, web order pages, ads for services.

Use it when

Seeing how another owner actually uses its mark.
Preparing a Statement of Use or maintenance filing, and seeing what USPTO accepted before.
Checking a specimen that looks mocked up or edited. USPTO refuses those, and a fake one can end an application.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, filed with the application, Statement of Use or maintenance filing.

Full file history

Every document USPTO has in TSDR for the mark: filings, Office Actions and notices. Files for older marks can be incomplete.

Use it when

Taking over a matter from another firm.
Due diligence before buying or licensing a brand.
Preparing a Board case, or seeing how an examiner handled a similar mark.

On TSDR: the Documents tab, everything listed with dates.

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Every document above is free on USPTO's site, one mark at a time.

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

Open TSDR (tsdr.uspto.gov) and enter a serial or registration number.
The Status tab shows the official record. Download it as a PDF to keep a copy.
The Documents tab lists every filing and notice; tick the ones you want and choose Download PDF.
For a registration, the Maintenance tab shows the next filing due.

GleanMark's USPTO Hub does this for up to 50 marks at once and checks every file. Everything else is under USPTO sites.

What each filing needs

What each form asks for, so you can gather it first, and the form to file. USPTO forms ask you to sign in with a USPTO.gov account. Most fees are per class.

Getting registered

You will need

A USPTO.gov account with your identity verified: a one-time step, online through ID.me or on paper.
Owner's legal name, entity type, and citizenship or state or country of organization.
Owner's domicile address and email. The domicile address stays out of public view if you also give a different mailing address. Treat the email as public: USPTO hides it only while an attorney represents you.
The mark: standard characters for words, or an image for a logo.
Goods and services by class, ideally picked from the ID Manual (your own wording costs $200 per class).
A filing basis: in use now (one specimen per class, plus first-use dates anywhere and in commerce), intent to use, or a foreign application or registration.
A signed statement that the facts are true.
Owners domiciled outside the U.S. need a U.S.-licensed attorney.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: pre-filing checklist USPTO: what stays private USPTO: identity verification USPTO: application surcharges USPTO: how long each stage takes USPTO: free Trademark Basics Boot Camp

You will need

An answer to every issue raised: argument, amendment, disclaimer, new specimen, or a mix.
Evidence attached as copies; for other registrations, copies from USPTO's records, not a list.
The owner's or attorney's signature.

Fee: None on time; $125 to extend an application's deadline.

File it:Response to Office Action Request more time (Trademark Center)Response after registration

Office Action Decoder USPTO: responding to Office Actions

The first extension needs no reason; later ones must show good cause (a reason USPTO accepts).

You will need

One specimen per class.
Dates of first use anywhere and in commerce.
The goods and services in use; delete or divide out the rest.
A signed statement.

Fee: $150 per class. Each 6-month extension: $125 per class.

File it:Statement of Use Extension (Trademark Center)

USPTO: specimens

Keeping it registered

Madrid Protocol registrations file Section 71 instead.

You will need

A current specimen for each class.
The goods and services still in use; delete the rest.
Or, if special circumstances stopped use, an explanation (excusable nonuse).
A signed statement.

Fee: $325 per class, plus $100 per class in the grace period. Deleting goods after you file costs $250 per class, so delete them in the declaration.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Limits how a registration can be challenged. Principal Register only; often filed with Section 8 (or Section 71 for Madrid registrations). Filed in Trademark Center.

You will need

A statement of 5 consecutive years of continuous use after registration.
A statement that no final decision went against the owner's rights in the mark, and none is pending.
The goods and services the statement covers.

Fee: $250 per class.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Madrid Protocol registrations file a Section 71 declaration on the same U.S. schedule, and renew the international registration with WIPO on its own schedule.

You will need

A current specimen for each class.
The goods and services still in use; delete the rest.
A signed statement.

Fee: $650 per class ($325 each for Sections 8 and 9), plus $100 per class per section in the grace period.

File it:Trademark Center

USPTO: keeping your registration alive

Changing owners

You will need

Old and new owners' names.
The serial or registration numbers.
The transfer type (assignment, merger, name change), its date, and a copy of the document.

Fee: $40 for the first mark, $25 for each additional mark in the same document.

File it:Assignment Center

USPTO: changing ownership

USPTO fees at a glance

Per class unless noted, filed online, as of October 12, 2026.

Getting registered

New application (base fee)Paid for each class of goods or services when you file a new application in Trademark Center. Madrid filings designating the U.S. pay $600 per class through WIPO instead.: $350
Surcharge: missing informationAdded per class when the application is missing certain required details, such as domicile or entity information. An examiner can also charge it during examination.: $100
Surcharge: wording not from the ID ManualAdded per class when you write your own description of goods or services instead of picking entries from the ID Manual.: $200
Surcharge: each extra 1,000 charactersAdded per class when a class has any wording of your own and its full goods-and-services text runs past 1,000 characters: $200 for each extra block of up to 1,000. ID Manual entries in that class count too.: $200
Office Action deadline extension (per request)Buys 3 more months to respond to an Office Action on an application. One extension per Office Action, charged per request, not per class.: $125
Statement of UsePer class, filed once an intent-to-use application is allowed and the mark is in use.: $150
Statement of Use extensionPer class, for each extra 6 months to file the Statement of Use.: $125

Keeping it registered

Section 8 declarationPer class, declaring the mark is still in use: between years 5 and 6, and with every 10-year renewal. Madrid registrations file Section 71 instead.: $325
Section 9 renewalPer class, the 10-year renewal itself, filed together with a Section 8. Not used for Madrid registrations, which renew with WIPO.: $325
Section 15 declarationPer class, the optional declaration of incontestability.: $250
Grace-period surcharge (per section)Per class, for each of Section 8 and Section 9, when filed in the 6 months after the deadline.: $100

Hover a fee for what it pays for. Paper filings cost more. Check the current fee schedule

Guides

Longer reads from GleanMark Insights.

General guidance, checked against uspto.gov on October 12, 2026. Not legal advice; fees and deadlines change, so confirm before you file.

The USPTO trademark guide

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

Which document do I need?

Status report

Registration certificate

Specimens

Full file history

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

What each filing needs

USPTO fees at a glance

Guides

Related on GleanMark

ID Manual Search

Deadline Management & Docketing

TESS Search Guide

Office Action Precedents

Insights

Pricing

The USPTO trademark guide

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

Which document do I need?

Status report

Registration certificate

Specimens

Full file history

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

What each filing needs

USPTO fees at a glance

Guides

Related on GleanMark

ID Manual Search

Deadline Management & Docketing

TESS Search Guide

Office Action Precedents

Insights

Pricing

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

Which document do I need?

Status report

Registration certificate

Specimens

Full file history

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

What each filing needs

New applicationAny time, before or after first use. Filed in Trademark Center.

Response to an Office ActionDue in 3 months, one 3-month extension. Madrid applications: 6 months; after registration: at least 6; no extension.

Statement of Use (intent-to-use applications)Due 6 months after the Notice of Allowance; extendable in 6-month steps to 36 months.

Section 8 declaration of useDue between the 5th and 6th anniversary; 6-month grace period for a surcharge. Filed in Trademark Center.

Section 15 declaration of incontestability (optional)After 5 straight years of use following registration; file within a year of that.

Renewal (Sections 8 and 9)Due in the year before each 10-year anniversary; 6-month grace period for a surcharge. Filed in Trademark Center.

Recording a new ownerAfter a sale, merger or name change. Filed in Assignment Center.

USPTO fees at a glance

Guides

Related on GleanMark

ID Manual Search

Deadline Management & Docketing

TESS Search Guide

Office Action Precedents

Insights

Pricing

Get official copies for a whole list of marks

Which document do I need?

Status report

Registration certificate

Specimens

Full file history

Find it yourself on uspto.gov

Pull one mark's documents from TSDR

What each filing needs

New applicationAny time, before or after first use. Filed in Trademark Center.

Response to an Office ActionDue in 3 months, one 3-month extension. Madrid applications: 6 months; after registration: at least 6; no extension.

Statement of Use (intent-to-use applications)Due 6 months after the Notice of Allowance; extendable in 6-month steps to 36 months.

Section 8 declaration of useDue between the 5th and 6th anniversary; 6-month grace period for a surcharge. Filed in Trademark Center.

Section 15 declaration of incontestability (optional)After 5 straight years of use following registration; file within a year of that.

Renewal (Sections 8 and 9)Due in the year before each 10-year anniversary; 6-month grace period for a surcharge. Filed in Trademark Center.

Recording a new ownerAfter a sale, merger or name change. Filed in Assignment Center.

USPTO fees at a glance

Guides

Related on GleanMark

ID Manual Search

Deadline Management & Docketing

TESS Search Guide

Office Action Precedents

Insights

Pricing