A U.S. registration stays alive only if the owner files proof of use at year 6 and renews every 10 years. We check what’s due, prepare the declaration and current specimens, and file it with the USPTO before your window closes.
Type your registration date to see every filing window and its grace period.
Dates follow the anniversary of the registration date, not the filing date. Confirm yours in the USPTO’s TSDR record.
The clock starts on the registration date printed on your certificate. Every window is one year long, followed by a six-month grace period that costs extra.
The USPTO issues the registration. Note this date; every deadline counts from it.
Swear the mark is still in use and send a specimen per class. You can add Section 15 here.
Proof of use plus the renewal itself, filed together as one combined filing.
The combined renewal repeats between years 19–20, 29–30 and so on.
Want the detail on each filing? Our guide to Section 8 and 9 deadlines walks through the rules, and how to renew a trademark covers the filing itself.
Two separate charges: the USPTO’s government fees, set per class, and our service fee. Here are the USPTO’s current online filing fees for keeping a registration alive.
| USPTO filing | Fee per class |
|---|---|
| Section 8 declaration of use | $325 |
| Section 9 renewal (with Section 8 at the 10-year mark) | $325 |
| Grace-period surcharge, Section 8 | +$100 |
| Grace-period surcharge, Section 9 | +$100 |
| Section 15 declaration of incontestability (optional) | $250 |
| Deleting unused goods or services after filing Section 8 | $250 |
Worked example: a registration in two classes, renewed at the 10-year mark on time, costs $650 × 2 = $1,300 in USPTO fees, plus $499 for our service, for $1,799 in total. Filed in the grace period, the USPTO adds $200 per class, so the total becomes $2,199.
Year 5–6 Section 8 filing or a Section 15 declaration only? Ask for a quote.
We pull your registration from TSDR to confirm the owner, the classes, and exactly which filing and window apply.
A Senior Case Analyst goes through each listed good and service with you and flags anything you no longer offer.
We assemble the declaration and one acceptable specimen per class, then file it with the USPTO and pay the government fee.
We watch for the USPTO’s acceptance or any post-registration Office Action and set a reminder for your next deadline.
Most renewals take a short call and a few photos.
The USPTO examines maintenance filings and can refuse them. These are the problems we see most often, and how they’re avoided.
Mockups, digitally altered images, and ads that don’t let a customer buy are refused.
Use a photo of the actual label, tag or packaging, or a product page with a price and buy button. See what counts as a specimen.
Every item in the declaration is sworn to be in use. The USPTO audits a share of Section 8 filings and asks for proof on extra items.
Delete unused items before filing, which is free, rather than after, which costs $250 per class.
Only the current owner can file. If the business changed hands or names, the record has to match first.
Record the assignment or name change with the USPTO before the renewal. Our guide to transferring a trademark explains how.
Marks registered in the U.S. through the Madrid Protocol use a Section 71 declaration instead of Section 8, and renew through WIPO.
Check the filing basis in TSDR before preparing anything. More on Madrid filings.
If you’re still inside the six-month grace period, the registration can be saved: file the same declaration and pay the grace-period surcharge. Once the grace period ends, the USPTO cancels the registration and it can’t be revived. The fix then is a new application, and anyone who filed for a similar mark in the meantime may be ahead of you.
After five years of continuous use following registration, you can file a Section 15 declaration, often in the same filing as your Section 8. It narrows the ways a competitor can challenge your registration. It does not replace renewal.
Every U.S. registration has two maintenance points. A Section 8 declaration is due between the 5th and 6th anniversary of the registration date. A combined Section 8 and Section 9 renewal is due between the 9th and 10th anniversary, and again every 10 years after that. Each deadline has a six-month grace period with an extra USPTO fee.
For the 10-year renewal, the USPTO charges $325 per class for the Section 8 declaration and $325 per class for the Section 9 renewal, so $650 per class when filed online. Our 10-Year Renewal service is $499 on top of the USPTO fees. Filing in the grace period adds $100 per class for each of the two filings.
The USPTO cancels or expires the registration. It cannot be revived by paying late, so the only way back to a federal registration is a new application, which goes through examination again and can be blocked by anyone who filed in the meantime.
Yes. Each Section 8 filing must list only the goods and services you still sell under the mark and include a current specimen for each class, such as a photo of a label or tag, packaging, or a website page where customers can buy. Mockups and digitally altered images are refused.
Yes, and you should. Deleting items before you file is free. If the USPTO later finds items that are not in use, for example in a post-registration audit, deleting them after the filing costs $250 per class.
No. Section 15 is an optional declaration you can file once the mark has been in continuous use for five years after registration. It limits the grounds on which the registration can be challenged, but it does not keep the registration alive. Only the Section 8 and Section 9 filings do that.
Watch out for official-looking letters offering to renew your mark for a fee; many are not from the USPTO. Here’s how to spot trademark scams.
Send us your registration number and we’ll confirm what’s due.
Secure Mark USA is a trademark filing service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice or employ attorneys. USPTO fees are set by the USPTO and were checked on November 5, 2026 against its fee schedule; deadlines follow 15 U.S.C. §§ 1058 and 1059. If your registration is being challenged or you need advice on your rights, please consult a licensed trademark attorney.