USPTO Fee Calculator

Understanding USPTO Fees

The USPTO updated its fee schedule in January 2025 with significant changes to both trademark and patent fees. Understanding these fees helps you budget accurately for your intellectual property filings.

Trademark Application Fees

The USPTO simplified trademark application fees in January 2025. The previous two-tier system (TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard) was replaced with a single base fee of $350 per class.

Key changes:

• Base fee: $350 per class (up from $250 for TEAS Plus)
• Custom description surcharge: $200 per class if you do not use pre-approved descriptions from the Trademark ID Manual
• Insufficient information: $100 per class if your application is missing required information
• Paper filing: $1,000 per class (electronic filing strongly encouraged)

To minimize costs, use descriptions from the USPTO Trademark ID Manual when possible. This avoids the $200 per-class surcharge for custom descriptions.

Trademark Maintenance Fees

Registered trademarks require ongoing maintenance to remain active. Missing these deadlines results in cancellation of your registration.

Section 8 Declaration (Declaration of Continued Use):

• Due between years 5 and 6 after registration
• Fee: $325 per class
• Must include specimen showing current use

Section 9 Renewal:

• Due between years 9 and 10 after registration, then every 10 years
• Fee: $325 per class
• Usually filed together with Section 8 as a combined filing

Grace Period: If you miss the regular filing window, you have a 6-month grace period with an additional $100 per class surcharge.

Patent Filing Fees

Patent fees depend on your entity size. The USPTO offers significant discounts for small entities (60% off) and micro entities (80% off).

Entity Size Qualifications:

• Large Entity: Does not qualify for small or micro status
• Small Entity: Individual, small business (under 500 employees), or nonprofit that has not assigned rights to a large entity
• Micro Entity: Qualifies as small entity, named on 4 or fewer prior applications, and income below $212,352

Filing a utility patent requires three fees:

1. Basic filing fee
2. Search fee
3. Examination fee

The issue fee is paid later, only after your patent is allowed. This fee must be paid within 3 months of the Notice of Allowance.

Provisional Patent Applications

Provisional applications are a cost-effective way to establish an early filing date. They require only a basic filing fee and no search or examination fees.

However, you must file a non-provisional application within 12 months to benefit from the provisional filing date. The provisional application itself never becomes a patent.

Tips for Managing USPTO Fees

1. Use the Trademark ID Manual: Avoid the $200 surcharge by selecting pre-approved descriptions
2. File electronically: Paper filings cost significantly more
3. Track maintenance deadlines: Missing a Section 8 deadline means losing your registration
4. Verify entity status: Small and micro entity discounts provide substantial savings on patent fees
5. Budget for the full process: Include issue fees and maintenance fees in your cost projections