A Tennessee state trademark is affordable and easy to get. It is also easy to misunderstand. Here is what it really protects, and when your brand needs the federal one.
Run a free trademark searchTennessee runs on brands that travel. Nashville music and hospitality, Memphis logistics moving packages worldwide, healthcare companies with patients across the region. Very few of these businesses sell only inside Tennessee, which is the thing to understand before you file: a Tennessee state trademark protects your name in Tennessee, and nowhere else. The word covers two separate registrations, and most of the confusion comes down to a few myths.
It protects your name inside Tennessee. A company in Georgia, Kentucky, or anywhere online can still use it, and you do not get the (R) symbol or a federal record.
If you sell online or across state lines, and most Tennessee businesses do, the federal USPTO registration is the one that actually covers your market.
The $20 state fee is cheap because it is narrow. It does not shrink the risk a business selling out of state actually faces.
Paying the state fee does not get you federal rights, and a state filing is not a step toward a federal one.
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.
| Tennessee state | Federal (USPTO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed with | TN Secretary of State | U.S. Patent and Trademark Office |
| Protects | Tennessee only | All 50 states |
| Fee | $20 per class | $350 per class |
| Term | 5 years, renewable | 10 years, renewable |
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State, Apply for a Trademark. This filing is done directly with the state; Secure Mark USA does not file Tennessee state applications.
A federal registration goes through the USPTO Trademark Center (which replaced the older TEAS platform). 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.
Run a free search. If the name is clear, we file your federal application from $99 plus USPTO fees.
Start my free searchFederal. A Tennessee only registration would not reach the out of state customers and competitors who make up most of your market.
$20 per class, valid five years, renewable. Federal is $350 per class and lasts ten years per term.
No. Entity formation is separate from trademark rights and will not stop a competitor from using your brand name.
No. They are separate systems with separate records.
Only after the USPTO registers your mark federally, roughly ten months for a straightforward application, sometimes longer.
USPTO: Trademark Basics, How much does it cost, Trademarks Dashboard.
Tennessee: Secretary of State, Apply for a Trademark.
Secure Mark USA: Free trademark search, Complete U.S. registration guide.