Indiana, 2026 guide

Trademark Registration in Indiana

Indiana has just about the cheapest state trademark in the country. Here is what that ten dollar filing actually covers, and when your brand needs the federal one instead.

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Indiana charges $10 per class to register a trademark through INBiz. That is genuinely cheap, and for a truly local business it is fine. But cheap and enough are not the same thing, and the reason is simple: an Indiana registration protects your name in Indiana, and nowhere else.

People say "Indiana trademark" to mean one of two separate registrations. A state registration goes through the Indiana Secretary of State (filed on the INBiz portal) and covers Indiana. A federal registration goes through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and covers all fifty states. They are different systems, not two versions of the same thing. Indiana sits on the logistics crossroads of the Midwest, so most businesses that grow here end up selling well beyond the state line, which is exactly where a state only registration runs out.

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.

What the $10 Indiana filing does, and does not

What it does

  • Puts your mark on the record in Indiana
  • Covers use within the state
  • Costs $10 per class, valid five years, renewable
  • Requires the mark to already be in use

What it does not

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

Source: Indiana Secretary of State, Trademarks (INBiz). This filing is done directly with the state; Secure Mark USA does not file Indiana state applications.

The federal path, in order

  • Clearance search. Check the federal database and existing use before you fall in love with the name.
  • Pick the class. Identify the right class of goods or services, which shapes your protection.
  • File through the USPTO Trademark Center (which replaced the older TEAS platform). The base fee is $350 per class.
  • Examination and registration. Current USPTO data shows roughly 4.5 months to a first action and about 10 months to registration for a clean application. Refusals, Office Actions, suspensions, and oppositions run longer. Those are averages, not promises.

Secure Mark USA prepares and files the federal application 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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Indiana trademark questions

The state fee is only $10. Is that all I need?

Only if your business truly operates within Indiana. It is cheap because it is narrow. It does not reach other states, grant the (R) symbol, or enter the federal database.

I ship product across the Midwest from Indiana. State or federal?

Federal. An Indiana only registration would not reach the customers or competitors in the states you sell into.

How long does an Indiana registration last?

Five years, renewable in five year terms. Federal lasts ten years per term.

I registered my LLC on INBiz. Am I trademarked?

No. Entity formation is separate from trademark rights and will not stop a competitor from using your brand name.

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.

Indiana: Secretary of State, Trademarks (INBiz).

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