How to Trademark a Business Name: US, UK and EU Fees

To trademark a business name, you file an application with the trademark office of each country or region where you want protection, for the specific goods or services you offer. Your company registration, DBA filing and domain name are separate records and protect different things. This guide covers when filing is worth it, the official fees and steps at the US, UK and EU offices, what a decade of US fees adds up to, and how your brand name and legal name should appear on invoices.

Last reviewed: October 27, 2026. Fees and rules come from the official offices cited below. This is general information, not legal advice; for anything beyond a simple single-class filing, talk to a trademark attorney.

Does registering a business name give you a trademark?

No. The US Small Business Administration describes four "legally independent" name registrations (SBA, Choose your business name):

In the UK, registering a company name with Companies House and registering a trade mark with the Intellectual Property Office are also separate. A sole trader name must not be "too similar to another company's trademarked name", or you may have to change it (GOV.UK, choose your business name).

You also have some rights without registering. The USPTO says you become a trademark owner "as soon as you start using your trademark with your goods or services", but those rights "only apply to the geographic area in which you're providing your goods or services". Registration gives broader rights (USPTO, What is a trademark?, last updated November 30, 2023).

When is it worth filing?

Filing makes sense when the name is doing real commercial work and losing it would cost you. Signals that it is time:

• You are investing in the name: signage, packaging, a product launch, paid ads or a domain you will build on for years.
• You sell beyond your local area, online or across state or national borders, where common-law rights are thin.
• Someone else could plausibly adopt it: your niche is crowded, or the name is easy to imitate.
• You plan to license, franchise or sell the business. A registration is an asset buyers can verify.

When it is probably not worth it yet:

• You trade under your own personal name and have no product brand.
• The name is descriptive of the service ("Fast Bookkeeping"). The USPTO says weak trademarks "are hard to protect against competitors and often are not federally registrable" (USPTO, Strong trademarks). Choosing a more distinctive name may be the better fix.
• You have not run a clearance search. Do not count on getting fees back if the mark is refused. The EUIPO, for example, refunds only if you withdraw on or before the day the fee was paid. Search first.

Official fees at the USPTO, UK IPO and EUIPO

All figures are government fees for a standard online filing. Attorney fees are extra.

Sources: USPTO, Summary of 2025 trademark fee changes; GOV.UK, How to classify trade marks and Register a trade mark; EUIPO, Fees and payments. All accessed October 27, 2026.

Two points stand out. The USPTO's $350 replaced the older two-tier $250 and $350 filing options, so older guides quoting $250 are out of date. And the US surcharges punish vague descriptions: writing your own goods-and-services wording instead of choosing entries from the USPTO's ID Manual adds $200 per class.

Step 1: Search for confusingly similar marks

Search before you pay anything. The USPTO refuses a mark when "consumers are likely to mistakenly believe these goods or services come from the same source", and it notes that "trademarks don't have to be identical to be confusingly similar" (USPTO, Likelihood of confusion). Similar sound, look or meaning, combined with related goods or services, is enough.

Where to search:

• US: the USPTO Trademark Search system, then state business registers and a general web search.
• UK: the GOV.UK trade mark search and the Companies House name checker.
• EU: the EUIPO's search tools, linked from its website.

Search spelling variants and sound-alikes, not just the exact name. "No exact match" does not mean clear.

Step 2: Pick your classes

Trademarks are registered for classes of goods and services. GOV.UK explains that the system groups goods and services into 45 classes: goods are in classes 1 to 34 and services in classes 35 to 45. Each class costs money at every office, so list what you actually sell now or genuinely plan to sell, not every class that sounds related.

Step 3: Choose your filing basis (US)

A US application is filed either on the basis that you already use the mark in commerce, or that you have "a bona fide intent" to use it (USPTO, Application filing basis). If you file on intent, you cannot register until you show use and file the required form. Keep dated evidence of use, such as your website, packaging or marketing showing the name with your services.

Step 4: File with the right office

• USPTO: file online. US-domiciled applicants may file without a lawyer, although the USPTO strongly encourages hiring one. Applicants domiciled outside the US must be represented by a US-licensed attorney (USPTO, Why hire a private trademark attorney, last updated October 10, 2024).
• UK IPO: file online. The IPO checks the mark against existing marks and publishes the application so others can oppose it. If there are no issues, GOV.UK says registration "usually takes around 3 to 4 months".
• EUIPO: one application gives a single EU trade mark for the European Union. The basic fee must be paid within one month of filing, and the EUIPO only examines the application once it is paid.

Step 5: Use the right symbol

The USPTO says you can use "TM" for goods or "SM" for services before you file. Once registered, use ®, and only "for the goods or services listed in the federal trademark registration". Putting ® on a name that is not registered, or on services outside the registration, goes beyond what the USPTO permits.

Step 6: Keep the registration alive

For a US registration, file a Section 8 declaration of use between the fifth and sixth years after registration, then a combined Section 8 and 9 renewal between the ninth and tenth years and every 10 years after that. There is a six-month grace period after each deadline, at extra cost (USPTO, Keeping your registration alive). UK and EU marks last 10 years and are renewed every 10 years.

Worked example: 10 years of US fees for one class

Illustrative example using USPTO fees in force since January 18, 2025.

A freelance designer trades as "Northpaw Studio" and files in the US for one class covering her design services, choosing her description from the ID Manual.

Had she typed her own free-form description, the application would have been $350 + $200 = $550, and the 10-year total $1,525. Adding a second class roughly doubles every line. Adding UK protection for one class costs £205 more at filing; adding EU protection, €850. None of this includes attorney fees, office-action responses or opposition costs.

Your brand name on invoices and contracts

A trademark is a brand. Your invoices are legal and tax documents that identify who is owed the money. Keep the two straight:

• Show the legal name of the business that is owed the money. In the UK, sole traders "must include your name and business name (if you have one) on official paperwork, for example invoices and letters" (GOV.UK). In the US, if you trade under a DBA, show the name your bank account and tax records use alongside the brand, for example "Jane Doe, doing business as Northpaw Studio". See what to include on an invoice.
• Use ® only if the name is registered for the services you are billing.
• Keep dated invoices. Invoices showing the brand alongside real sales are part of your business records; ask your attorney what evidence of use your application needs.

In InvoiceQuickly, the business name you save in settings is printed at the top of every invoice PDF, and you can change the sender name per invoice. On Pro you can also add your logo, brand colour and a custom footer. Saved business tax IDs are copied to new invoice PDFs; check the saved IDs and PDF before sending. See features and pricing.

Watch out for fake trademark invoices

Once your application is public, expect official-looking letters asking for "registration", "monitoring" or "renewal" fees. The USPTO warns that these notices "attempt to appear as legitimate as possible" and often say in fine print that the sender is not a federal agency. Official USPTO email comes from @uspto.gov, and "if it's not in TSDR, it's not an official communication" (USPTO, Caution: misleading notices). The EUIPO says it "never sends invoices or letters requesting direct payment for services to users". Before paying any trademark bill, check it against your file on the office's own website.

Choosing the name before you file

If you have not settled on a name, start with distinctiveness and searchability, then check registers. The business name generator gives simple ideas and links to the official US and UK business-name and trademark searches, and how to name a freelance business covers the naming decision itself. For other launch steps, see how to start a freelance business.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a trademark application cost?

Government fees for one class filed online are $350 at the USPTO (since January 18, 2025), £205 at the UK Intellectual Property Office (since April 1, 2026) and €850 at the EUIPO. Each extra class costs more, and US surcharges apply for free-form descriptions. Attorney fees are separate.

How can I check if a trademark is registered?

Search the official databases: the USPTO Trademark Search system for the US, the GOV.UK trade mark search for the UK, and the EUIPO's search tools for EU marks. Look for similar spellings, sounds and meanings in related goods and services, not only exact matches.

Does an LLC or DBA protect my business name?

Not as a trademark. The SBA says a DBA does not give legal protection, and an entity name protects the name only at state level. A federal trademark registration is a separate filing with the USPTO.

Do I need a lawyer to file a trademark?

In the US, applicants domiciled in the US may file on their own, though the USPTO strongly encourages hiring an attorney. Applicants domiciled outside the US must use a US-licensed attorney. A lawyer is most useful for clearance searches, refusals and oppositions.

What is the difference between TM and ®?

TM (or SM for services) can be used on an unregistered mark. ® is only for a registered mark, and only for the goods or services in the registration.

How long does a trademark last?

As long as you keep using it and renewing it. US registrations need a use declaration between years 5 and 6 and renewal every 10 years; UK and EU registrations last 10 years and can be renewed.

What is trademark infringement?

Broadly, using a mark that is likely to confuse consumers about who provides the goods or services. If you think someone is infringing your mark, or you receive a demand letter, get advice from a trademark attorney before responding.