legal · 2026-05-01
Total cost to maintain a US trademark across required filings — Section 8 declaration, Section 9 renewal, and attorney fees over 30 years.
| Number of classes | 1 |
| Filing mode | With attorney |
| Attorney hourly rate | $350 |
| Years to project | 30 |
| Total USPTO fees | $2,575 |
| Total attorney cost | $3,150 |
| Number of filings | 4 |
Filing a trademark is one cost. Keeping it alive is another that surprises owners every 5-10 years. Miss a deadline and the registration is canceled with no grace period beyond a 6-month grace window with extra fees.
USPTO fees are per-class. A 3-class registration costs 3x what a single-class costs at every filing.
Most owners pay an attorney for the renewal (1.5-3 hrs each) because the specimen-of-use evidence has to be picture-perfect. The Sec 8 declaration is the most-rejected filing in trademark practice — DIY at your peril.
There's a 6-month grace period with a $100/class late fee. After that, the registration is permanently canceled and you have to file a brand-new application — losing your priority date. Set calendar reminders 6 and 12 months out from the year-5 anniversary.
If the brand is making revenue, yes. The cost of losing the registration and re-applying after a competitor files in your gap is far higher than maintenance. If the brand is dormant or pivoted, abandon it deliberately rather than pay maintenance to a stale mark.
Yes. At Section 8 / 9 filing, you can amend to drop classes you no longer use. This is common when companies pivot — the original filing covered software (Class 9) and clothing (Class 25), but you only sell software now. Drop Class 25, keep Class 9.