Your logo is often the most immediately recognized element of your brand. It appears on everything from your website header to your product packaging, your social media profiles, and your business signage. Protecting it through trademark registration is one of the most important steps a business can take to secure its brand identity for the long term.
But before you file, the question most business owners ask first is: what is the actual cost to trademark a logo? This guide answers that question completely, covering government fees, professional costs, and the factors that affect the total investment, along with a clear answer to whether you should trademark your logo.
A trademark registration for a logo protects the specific visual design of the mark. This is a separate registration from a trademark on your business name alone. If you want both your name and your logo protected, you will need to file separate applications for each. Many businesses file both, particularly when the logo incorporates the company name as part of the design, because the combined mark and the standalone name each have independent protection value.
A logo trademark registration gives you the exclusive right to use that specific visual design in connection with the goods or services listed in your registration. If someone else starts using a confusingly similar logo in your industry, your registration gives you the legal standing to stop them, demand they rebrand, and seek damages if they refuse. Without registration, your options are significantly more limited.
Every dollar you spend on marketing, advertising, and brand building is an investment in the recognition value of your logo. That recognition value is an asset. Without trademark protection, that asset is vulnerable. A competitor who adopts a confusingly similar logo in your industry creates real harm to your brand, and without a registered trademark, your ability to stop them is limited and legally expensive.
If your logo is still in development, filing before the design is finalized means paying fees for a mark you may later change. If your business is in its very first weeks with genuinely uncertain longevity, waiting until the business is established makes practical sense. However, these situations are the exception rather than the rule, and most businesses that delay trademark registration regret it.
All US trademark applications are filed through the USPTO’s online TEAS system. The filing fee depends on which application type you use. TEAS Plus requires you to select a description of goods or services from the USPTO’s approved Identification Manual and costs $250 per class. TEAS Standard allows a custom description of goods or services and costs $350 per class.
Trademark protection is organized by classes of goods and services. If your logo is used in connection with products in multiple categories, you may need to file in more than one class. The filing fee applies to each class separately, so a logo covering two classes costs twice the per-class filing fee.
| Application Type | Fee Per Class | Best For |
| TEAS Plus | $250 per class | Businesses whose goods or services fit standard USPTO descriptions |
| TEAS Standard | $350 per class | Businesses needing custom descriptions of their goods or services |
| Two-class TEAS Plus filing | $500 total | Logos used across two distinct product or service categories |
| Three-class TEAS Plus filing | $750 total | Logos used across three distinct categories |
When you file a logo trademark, you choose whether to file in color or in black and white. Filing in black and white provides broader protection because it covers the design in any color combination. Filing in a specific color configuration protects only that exact color version, meaning someone could potentially use the same design in different colors without infringing your registration.
Most trademark professionals recommend filing your logo in black and white first. This gives you the broadest protection across all color applications of the design. If color is a highly distinctive and legally significant element of your brand identity, a separate color filing can be added for additional protection, though this doubles the filing cost.
Unlike a word mark application that simply registers the name, a logo trademark application requires a precise written description of the visual elements of the design. This includes the shapes, fonts, design elements, and their arrangement. Inaccurate or vague descriptions are one of the most common causes of logo trademark Office Actions, which require additional time and cost to address.
Trademark attorneys typically charge $500 to $1,500 for preparing and filing a logo trademark application, in addition to the government filing fees. The total cost to trademark a logo with attorney assistance therefore typically ranges from $750 to $1,850 for a single-class application. For applications requiring Office Action responses, additional attorney fees of $500 to $2,000 or more may apply.
Logo trademark applications are more complex than name-only applications because of the description requirements and the need to correctly classify the design elements. Errors in the description or classification can result in Office Actions, refusals, or registrations that provide narrower protection than intended. For most businesses, professional assistance is worth the investment on a logo trademark.
| Scenario | Government Fee | Professional Fee | Total Approximate Cost |
| DIY, one class, TEAS Plus, no issues | $250 | $0 | $250 |
| DIY, one class, TEAS Standard, no issues | $350 | $0 | $350 |
| Attorney-assisted, one class, TEAS Plus | $250 | $500 to $1,500 | $750 to $1,750 |
| Attorney-assisted, two classes, TEAS Plus | $500 | $700 to $2,000 | $1,200 to $2,500 |
| With Office Action response (attorney) | Filing fees above | $500 to $2,000 extra | Add $500 to $2,000 to above totals |
| Black and white plus color filing, one class | $500 (two filings) | Professional fees as above | $500 to $2,000+ |
A registered logo trademark requires maintenance filings to remain active. A Section 8 Declaration of Use is due between years five and six after registration at $225 per class. A combined Section 8 and 9 filing is due at the ten-year mark at $550 per class. Missing these deadlines results in cancellation of the registration.
The cost to trademark a logo in 2026 ranges from $250 for a straightforward single-class DIY filing to $2,500 or more for a professionally managed multi-class application. The right investment level depends on the complexity of your application and the value your logo represents to your business.
The question of whether you should trademark your logo almost always has the same answer for businesses that are seriously building a brand: yes, and sooner rather than later. The cost of registration is predictable and manageable. The cost of losing a logo you have built a brand around is not.
Trademark Clutch helps business owners file logo trademark applications correctly and efficiently, avoiding the errors that lead to Office Actions and delays. If you are ready to protect your logo, reach out to us today for a straightforward conversation about your application.
Government filing fees start at $250 per class for TEAS Plus applications. With attorney assistance, the total typically ranges from $750 to $1,750 for a single-class application. Multi-class applications and those requiring Office Action responses add to this total.
Yes. A logo trademark registration protects the visual design of the mark. A business name trademark protects the words themselves. They are separate registrations providing independent protection, and most established brands maintain both.
Filing in black and white provides broader protection because it covers the design in any color variation. Filing in a specific color protects only that exact version. Most trademark professionals recommend black and white as the primary filing, with a separate color filing added if color is a legally significant element of the brand.
The USPTO examination process typically takes eight to twelve months from filing to registration when no significant issues arise. Applications that receive Office Actions requiring responses can take twelve to twenty-four months or longer.
A Section 8 Declaration of Use costs $225 per class between years five and six. A combined Section 8 and 9 renewal costs $550 per class at the ten-year anniversary. Missing these maintenance deadlines results in cancellation of the registration.
