State registration or federal? Here is the honest difference between a Washington trademark and a federal one, and which your business actually needs.
Run a free trademark search$55Washington state fee per class (expedited service adds $100)
Washington builds brands that sell everywhere: Seattle tech and cloud companies, aerospace, coffee, outdoor gear, e commerce. Almost none of them sell only inside the state. A Washington state trademark protects your name in Washington and nowhere else, which is the thing to understand before filing. The phrase covers two separate registrations: a state one through the Secretary of State, and a federal one through the USPTO that covers all fifty states.
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: Washington Secretary of State, Trademarks. Secure Mark USA does not file Washington state applications.
You file with the Washington Secretary of State, paying $55 per class, with the registration effective for five years and renewable ($50 per class to renew). Expedited service is an optional $100. It is a legitimate state record for a business operating within Washington, but it does not reach other states, grant the (R) symbol, or place you in the federal database.
Your name within Washington, for five years. A reasonable, on the record step if your business truly stays in state.
The registered mark across all fifty states, plus the (R) symbol and a public federal record. On current USPTO data, roughly 4.5 months to a first action and about 10 months to registration for a clean application, longer with a refusal, Office Action, suspension, or 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.
Run a free search. If the name is clear, we file your federal application from $99 plus USPTO fees.
Start my free searchFederal. A Washington only registration would not reach the out of state customers and competitors who make up most of your market.
$55 per class, valid five years, renewable at $50 per class, with optional $100 expedited service. 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.
Washington: Secretary of State, Trademarks.
Secure Mark USA: Free trademark search, Complete U.S. registration guide.