Trademark Class 35: Advertising & Business | Complete Filing Guide

Class 35 covers advertising, business management assistance, business administration, and office functions. Marketing agencies, retailers, and business consultants file here.

What Class 35 Covers

Class 35 is the first of the services classes. It includes advertising, business management, business administration, office functions, and retail services.

The class covers:

1. Advertising - Advertising services, marketing, promotion
2. Business services - Consulting, management, market research
3. Retail services - Retail stores, online retail, e-commerce
4. Office functions - Secretarial, bookkeeping, data entry
5. Employment - Recruitment, personnel management

Included in Class 35

Advertising:

• Advertising services
• Marketing services
• Public relations
• Promotional services
• Social media marketing
• Digital advertising

Business Services:

• Business management
• Business consulting
• Market research
• Data analysis
• Strategic planning

Retail Services:

• Retail store services
• Online retail
• E-commerce services
• Mail order services
• Department stores

Office Functions:

• Secretarial services
• Data entry
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll services
• Typing services

Employment:

• Employment agencies
• Recruitment services
• Personnel management
• Staffing services

NOT Included in Class 35

These similar items belong in other classes:

• Financial services - Class 36 (Financial Services)
• Legal services - Class 45 (Legal & Security Services)
• Website development - Class 42 (Technology Services)
• Printed advertising materials - Class 16 (Paper Goods)

Retail Services in Class 35

This is important for any business that sells products:

Goods classes: The products themselves Class 35: The retail service of selling those products

If you sell clothing (Class 25), you may also need Class 35 for "retail store services featuring clothing."

Common Services Descriptions

Using pre-approved descriptions from the USPTO Trademark ID Manual avoids the $200 custom description surcharge.

Popular pre-approved descriptions for Class 35:

• Advertising services
• Business management services
• Retail store services featuring [goods]
• Online retail store services featuring [goods]
• Business consulting
• Marketing services

Important: For retail services, you must specify the goods sold.

Well-Known Marks in Class 35

These recognizable brands are registered in Class 35:

• Amazon - Online retail services
• Walmart - Retail store services
• McKinsey - Business consulting
• Indeed - Employment services
• Shopify - E-commerce platform services

Filing Tips for Class 35

Specify Goods for Retail

Retail services require specifying what you sell:

• Good: "Online retail store services featuring clothing"
• Good: "Retail store services featuring electronics"
• Bad: "Retail services"
• Bad: "Online retail"

Business Software vs. Business Services

The distinction:

Specimens for Business Services

For Class 35 trademarks, acceptable specimens include:

• Website showing services offered
• Advertising materials
• Business cards and letterhead
• Contracts and proposals

Related Classes

If you are filing in Class 35, you may also need:

• Class 36: Financial Services - Financial services
• Class 41: Education & Entertainment - Training and education
• Class 42: Technology Services - Technology services
• Class 45: Legal & Security Services - Legal services

Filing Fees

Current USPTO fees for Class 35 trademark applications (2025):

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Explore Related Trademark Classes:

• Class 42: Technology Services
• Class 36: Financial Services