Missouri, 2026 guide

Trademark Registration in Missouri

A state registration and a federal one are two different tools. Here is what each protects and which one your business really needs.

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$50Missouri fee per class

Missouri sits at the center of the country, and the businesses that grow here rarely stay inside it. St. Louis and Kansas City anchor a distribution corridor that ships goods in every direction. That is the whole tension with a Missouri state trademark: it protects your name in Missouri, and nowhere else. People use the phrase "Missouri trademark" to mean one of two completely separate things, so start by comparing them side by side.

Missouri state vs. federal, line by line

Missouri stateFederal (USPTO)
Filed withMissouri Secretary of State (Chapter 417)U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Where it protects youMissouri onlyAll 50 states
Government fee$50 per class$350 per class
Term10 years, renewable10 years, renewable
The (R) symbolNoYes
In the federal databaseNoYes

This page is 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: Missouri Secretary of State, Trademarks and Service Marks. Secure Mark USA files the federal application only; the state filing is done directly with the Secretary of State.

When the $50 filing is enough, and when it is not

A Missouri registration fits if

You operate only inside Missouri: a single location, a local service, customers who are all in state. It is a cheap, on the record filing that lasts a full ten years.

It leaves a gap if

Your product ships out of a Missouri warehouse to a dozen states. It protects the place your goods leave, not the places they land. A company in Kansas, Illinois, or Tennessee could still use your name.

The federal route, step by step

  1. Search first. Clear the name against the federal database and existing use before you commit to it.
  2. Pick the class. Identify the right class of goods or services. This shapes what your registration actually protects.
  3. File through the USPTO Trademark Center (the online system that replaced the older TEAS platform). The base fee is $350 per class.
  4. Examination and registration. On current USPTO data expect roughly 4.5 months to a first action and about 10 months to registration for a clean application. Anything with a refusal, an Office Action, a suspension, or an opposition runs 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 guide to U.S. trademark registration.

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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Missouri trademark questions

My product ships out of St. Louis to a dozen states. State or federal?

Federal. A Missouri only registration would not reach the customers or competitors in the states your goods land in.

What does the Missouri filing cost and how long does it last?

$50 per class, valid ten years, renewable. A single application covers one class, so two classes means two applications. Federal is $350 per class, also ten years, but nationwide.

I registered my LLC with Missouri. Am I trademarked?

No. Forming a business entity is a separate step from trademark rights, and it will not stop a competitor from using your brand name.

Does a Missouri registration help a federal one?

No. They are separate systems with separate records. A state filing is not a step toward federal.

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.

Missouri: Secretary of State, Trademarks and Service Marks.

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