Michigan, 2026 guide

Trademark Registration in Michigan

State registration or federal? Here is the plain difference between a Michigan trademark and a federal one, and which your business actually needs.

$50Michigan per application
$350USPTO per class
$99+our federal filing
Run a free trademark search

Michigan makes things and ships them everywhere, from Detroit and the auto supply chain to furniture, food, and a growing tech scene. That is the tension with a Michigan state trademark: it protects your name in Michigan, while your products and customers rarely stay put. People use "Michigan trademark" to mean one of two separate registrations. A state registration goes through Michigan LARA (the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing bureau) and covers Michigan. A federal registration goes through the USPTO and covers all fifty states.

A Michigan quirk worth knowing: the state filing is $50 per application, and each application covers one mark in one class. So a mark you use across two classes means two separate $50 filings. The registration runs ten years and is renewable ($25 to renew). Michigan also requires the mark to already be in use, so there is no intent to use option at the state level the way there is federally.

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: Michigan LARA, Trademark and Service Mark. Secure Mark USA does not file Michigan state applications.

Michigan state vs. federal

Michigan state
  • Files with Michigan LARA
  • Protects within Michigan only
  • $50 per application, one class each
  • 10 years, renewable at $25
  • No (R) symbol
Federal (USPTO)
  • Files with the USPTO Trademark Center
  • Protects all 50 states
  • $350 per class
  • 10 years, renewable
  • (R) symbol and federal record

The federal route in four moves

SearchClear the name before you commit.
ClassifyPick the right goods or services class.
FileUSPTO Trademark Center, $350 per class.
RegisterExamined, published, then registered.

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 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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Michigan trademark questions

Why is Michigan $50 per application instead of per class?

Each Michigan application covers one mark in one class, so registering the same mark in a second class means a second $50 filing. Federal is $350 per class and covers all fifty states.

My company sells nationwide from Michigan. State or federal?

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

I registered my LLC with Michigan. Am I trademarked?

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

Does a Michigan registration help a federal one?

No. They are separate systems with separate records.

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.

Michigan: LARA, Trademark and Service Mark.

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