Trademark Maintenance
Trademark Renewals and Maintenance Filings
A federal trademark can last indefinitely, but only if you keep filing. Miss a maintenance deadline and the USPTO cancels the registration — there is no grace period once the final window closes, and the only way back is to start over.
Trademark Renewal
- Review of your registration and its status
- Confirmation of which filing window applies
- Specimen review for continued use
- Section 8 declaration of continued use
- Section 9 renewal application where due
- Section 15 declaration of incontestability where eligible
- Filing with the USPTO and confirmation
- USPTO filing fee for one class included
Flat fee • USPTO filing fees included • no surprise add-ons
The deadlines that matter
Trademark maintenance runs on a fixed schedule tied to your registration date. Each filing has a due window and a short grace period that carries an extra USPTO fee. Once both close, the registration is cancelled.
What each filing does
A Section 8 declaration tells the USPTO your mark is still in use in commerce and is due between the fifth and sixth year after registration. A Section 9 renewal extends the registration for another ten years and is due in the ninth-to-tenth year, then every ten years after. A Section 15 declaration is optional but valuable: after five years of continuous use it can make your registration incontestable, which sharply limits the grounds on which someone can later challenge it.
Each filing requires a specimen showing the mark as actually used. Specimen problems are the most common reason a maintenance filing gets refused, and they are entirely avoidable with a review before submission.
Trademark Maintenance Schedule
Where your registration sits determines what is due.
Years 5–6
Section 8 declaration of continued use. Optionally file a Section 15 declaration at the same time to pursue incontestable status.
Years 9–10
Section 8 and Section 9 filed together to renew the registration for a further ten years.
Every 10 years
Section 8 and Section 9 again, in the year before each ten-year anniversary.
Grace periods
A six-month grace period follows each deadline and carries an additional USPTO surcharge. After that the registration is cancelled.
Renewal Questions
What happens if I miss a renewal deadline?
Each deadline is followed by a six-month grace period with an additional USPTO surcharge. If that also passes, the USPTO cancels the registration and it cannot be revived — protecting the mark again means filing a new application and losing your original priority date.
Do you handle renewals for marks you didn’t file?
Yes. We regularly take over maintenance for registrations originally filed by another firm or by the owner directly. We review the registration history first so nothing from the original filing causes a problem now.
What is a Section 15 declaration and do I need one?
It is optional. After five years of continuous use, a Section 15 declaration can make your registration incontestable, which significantly narrows the grounds on which it can later be challenged. It is usually worth filing alongside your Section 8.
Does the $1,500 cover more than one class?
The flat fee covers one mark in one international class and includes the USPTO filing fee for that class. Registrations covering multiple classes require additional USPTO fees per class, quoted upfront before any work begins.
How do I find out when my filings are due?
Your registration certificate and the USPTO record both show the registration date, which sets the schedule. Send us the registration number and we will confirm what is due and when.
Keep the protection you already paid for.
Send us your registration number and we will tell you what is due, when it is due, and what it costs.