Illinois, 2026 guide

Trademark Registration in Illinois

Illinois has one of the cheapest state trademark fees in the country. Here is what that $10 filing really buys, and when you need the federal one instead.

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$10Illinois state
vs
$350federal per class

That $10 fee does a lot of damage, because it makes the state option look like an obvious bargain next to the $350 federal fee. Before you file the cheap one, it helps to understand what it actually buys, and what it does not. There are two separate registrations people lump together as an Illinois trademark. A state registration goes through the Illinois Secretary of State (Form TM/SM-15, under 765 ILCS 1036) and protects your name inside Illinois. A federal registration goes through the USPTO and protects it nationwide. They are not tiers of the same thing. They are different systems covering different ground.

General information to help you decide, not legal advice. Trademark rights can depend on how and where a mark is used, the goods or services involved, prior users, and other facts. Source: Illinois Secretary of State, Trademark and Servicemark. Secure Mark USA does not file Illinois state applications.

What the $10 Illinois filing does, and does not

What it does

  • Puts your mark on the record in Illinois
  • Costs $10 per class (Form TM/SM-15)
  • Lasts five years, renewable
  • Is a real, cheap, on the record filing

What it does not

  • Reach Indiana, Missouri, or anywhere else
  • Grant the (R) symbol
  • Put you in the federal database competitors search
  • Count as a step toward federal

How to decide, in three steps

  1. Map where your customers actually are. All in Illinois means the state filing may be enough. A Chicago food brand in Midwest grocery chains, a logistics company near O'Hare, a downstate ag producer shipping out of state: all of those are in federal territory.
  2. Search before you fall in love with the name. Check the federal database and existing use first. A free domain says nothing about trademark availability.
  3. File the one that matches your reach. Local and staying local, Illinois state. Selling or growing beyond, federal USPTO.

What federal registration gives you

A federal registration goes through the USPTO Trademark Center (which replaced the older TEAS platform): nationwide protection, the (R) symbol, and a public federal record, for $350 per class. On current USPTO data, expect roughly 4.5 months to a first action and about 10 months to registration for a clean application, longer with a refusal, an Office Action, a suspension, or an opposition. Secure Mark USA prepares and files it for you from $99 plus the USPTO fee. Start with a free trademark search or read the complete U.S. registration guide.

Source: USPTO Trademarks Dashboard; USPTO, How much does it cost.

Check your name before you file

Run a free search. If the name is clear, we file your federal application from $99 plus USPTO fees.

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Illinois trademark questions

The state fee is $10 and federal is $350. Are they the same thing at different prices?

No. They are separate registrations covering different territory. $10 (Form TM/SM-15) protects a mark in Illinois; $350 per class protects it nationwide through the USPTO. Paying one does not get you the other.

My company is in Chicago but ships across the Midwest. Which one?

If you are selling across state lines, federal is the registration that matches how your business operates. An Illinois only registration would not reach your out of state customers or competitors.

How long does an Illinois state registration last?

Five years, renewable. A federal registration lasts ten years per term.

Does registering in Illinois help my federal application?

Not directly. They are separate systems with separate records. A state registration is not a step toward a federal one.

When can I use the (R) symbol?

Only after the USPTO registers your mark federally, roughly ten months for a straightforward application, sometimes longer.

Helpful resources

USPTO: Trademark Basics, How much does it cost, Trademarks Dashboard.

Illinois: Secretary of State, Trademark and Servicemark.

Secure Mark USA: Free trademark search, Complete U.S. registration guide.