After registration · Maintenance
How do you renew a trademark registration?
A U.S. registration doesn't renew itself. You file a declaration of use between years 5 and 6, then a combined declaration and renewal between years 9 and 10, and every ten years after that. Here's what each filing needs, what it costs and what happens if you miss it.
By Bill, Business Growth Expert · Verified and checked on October 27, 2026
Short answer
To renew a federal trademark, file a combined Section 8 declaration of use and Section 9 renewal with the USPTO in the year before the 10-year anniversary of registration. It costs $650 per class online, and you need a current specimen showing the mark in use for each class. Before that, a Section 8 declaration ($325 per class) is due between the 5th and 6th year. Each deadline has a six-month grace period for an extra $100 per class per filing. Miss the grace period and the registration is cancelled.
How much does trademark renewal cost?
| Filing | USPTO fee per class | Grace-period surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Section 8 declaration (years 5–6) | $325 | +$100 |
| Section 15 incontestability (optional) | $250 | n/a |
| Sections 8 + 15 combined | $575 | +$100 |
| Sections 8 + 9 combined (years 9–10, then every 10) | $650 | +$200 if both are late |
| Deleting goods after filing a Section 8, before acceptance | $250 per class deleted | n/a |
These are the electronic filing fees. Paper filings cost more. A registration covering three classes pays three times each fee, so a 10-year renewal for three classes is $1,950 in USPTO fees.
How do you file a renewal step by step?
Check your dates
Look up the registration in TSDR. The registration date sets every deadline, and the window opens one year before each one.
Review your goods and services
Remove anything you no longer sell before you file. Deleting items at this point is free; deleting them after filing costs $250 per class.
Collect a specimen for each class
A current photo of the product label or tag, or a web page showing the mark next to the service. It must show use now, not use from years ago.
File the declaration online
Sign a sworn statement that the mark is in use in commerce for the listed goods and services, attach the specimens and pay the fee.
Answer any post-registration Office Action
The USPTO may question a specimen or select the registration for an audit asking for proof of use on more items.
Why does the declaration of use matter so much?
The Section 8 declaration is a sworn statement. Claiming use on goods you've stopped selling can put the whole registration at risk, and the USPTO runs a post-registration audit program that asks some owners to prove use on additional items. Being accurate is cheaper than defending an inflated list.
Optional extra: once a mark has been in continuous use for five years after registration, you can also file a Section 15 declaration ($250 per class). It makes the registration incontestable, which limits the grounds anyone can use to challenge it. Many owners file it together with the first Section 8.
What if you miss the renewal deadline?
You have a six-month grace period after each deadline. Filing in that window costs an extra $100 per class for each filing that is late. Once the grace period ends, the USPTO cancels the registration. Outside rare cases such as a USPTO error, it can't be brought back, so you would need a new application and a new filing date. Our guide on what to do after a missed renewal deadline covers the options, and the Section 8 and 9 deadline guide lays out the full calendar.
International registrations extended to the U.S. under the Madrid Protocol follow a different track. The U.S. still needs a Section 71 declaration of use, but the renewal itself is handled through WIPO.
Still choosing a new brand to protect? Start with the registration itself.
See our filing packagesTrademark renewal questions
How often do you have to renew a trademark?
Every 10 years, with a combined declaration of use and renewal application. There is also a separate declaration of use due between the 5th and 6th year after registration.
How much does it cost to renew a trademark?
The combined Section 8 and Section 9 filing costs $650 per class when filed online. Filing in the grace period adds $100 per class for each late filing.
How early can I renew my trademark?
The filing window opens one year before the 10-year anniversary of the registration date and closes on the anniversary, followed by a six-month grace period.
Do I need a specimen to renew a trademark?
Yes. You need a current specimen showing the mark in use for each class, such as a product label photo or a web page offering the services.
Can I renew a trademark I am no longer using?
No. Renewal requires a sworn declaration that the mark is in use in commerce, except in limited cases of excusable nonuse that must be explained.
Related guides
Legal disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice. Secure Mark USA is a trademark filing service, not a law firm. Questions about excusable nonuse or a challenged registration should go to a licensed trademark attorney.
Sources
- USPTO: Fee schedule (post-registration fees), checked October 27, 2026
- USPTO: Keeping your registration alive
- 15 U.S.C. §1058: Duration and affidavits of use (Section 8)
- 15 U.S.C. §1059: Renewal of registration (Section 9)
- USPTO: Post-registration audit program
Verified and checked on October 27, 2026.