Do I need a US attorney to file with the USPTO?

If you are based outside the United States, the USPTO requires a US-licensed attorney to represent you. US residents are not required to use one, but applications drafted by counsel clear examination far more often. Every GTC US filing is prepared and signed by a US-licensed attorney.

How long does it take to register a US trademark?

Filing happens within one to two weeks of your attorney check. The USPTO currently takes about 8 to 12 months to a first examiner action, then 3 to 6 months to registration if there are no objections. Most marks register in 12 to 18 months end to end.

What happens if my application is refused?

The USPTO issues an Office Action explaining the refusal. Procedural refusals are answered with arguments, evidence, or amendments as part of standard prosecution support. Substantive refusals are quoted upfront before any work begins, so there is never a surprise bill.

Can I file before I launch my product?

Yes. The USPTO allows an Intent-to-Use application when you have a genuine intent to use the mark in commerce. You file a Statement of Use with a specimen once you are selling, and your attorney guides the timing so your filing date is protected.

I'm not a US resident — can GTC still file for me?

Yes. The USPTO requires non-US-domiciled applicants to be represented by a US-licensed attorney, and that representation is included in every GTC US filing. We file across 107 jurisdictions, so US applications for founders abroad are routine.

What are the most common reasons a US trademark is refused?

About 40% of US applications draw at least one Office Action. The most common refusal is a likelihood of confusion with an existing mark, followed by merely-descriptive refusals, specimen problems, and overly broad descriptions. A knockout search and attorney-drafted goods prevent most of them — counsel-represented applications register at about 60%, versus 46% for self-filers.

What should I do — and avoid — before I file?

Do run a clearance search before you invest in branding, file as soon as you have settled on a name, choose distinctive marks over descriptive ones, and cover every class you operate in. Don't use the ® symbol before registration (it is a federal violation), pick descriptive names, miss an Office Action deadline, or assume forming a company protects your brand name — entity formation and trademark rights are separate.

United States · USPTO

Protect your brand in the United States. Start your trademark registration today.

Let one of our experienced trademark attorneys take care of everything, so you don't have to. They'll perform a trademark search, provide legal advice, and prepare and file your application.

From $200 attorney fee + $350 USPTO, first class · 12–18 months to registration

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Filed at the USPTO

Serial number issued

Registered

Federal ® across 50 states

Renewal tracked

Section 8 at year 5–6

Filed by

Paul Ditmyer

US Attorney, licensed in Florida

7,500+ filed10,000+ clients107 jurisdictions11 attorneys

Top-10 US Trademark FilerIIPLA Top IP Consultancy 2026Upwork · Top Rated Plus

Brands we've protected

How it works

Three steps to a US registration.

Run a free attorney check

Tell us your brand. A US-licensed attorney searches the USPTO register and tells you, plainly, whether you are clear to file.

We file with the USPTO

We draft your goods and services, classify them, and file your application directly with the USPTO as your attorney of record.

Watched through to registration

We monitor examination, answer procedural Office Actions, and see your mark through to a federal registration you can mark with the ® symbol.

What it costs

One flat fee, every cost shown up front.

A transparent attorney fee, the USPTO's official fee passed through at cost, and a clear total before you pay.

Every US filing includes

A USPTO knockout search, with an attorney's read on your odds
Goods and services drafted, classified, and a specimen prepared
Application filed with the USPTO by a US-licensed attorney of record
Examination monitored and procedural Office Actions answered
One year of post-registration attorney aftercare

Your single-class US filing

$200GTC attorney fee

+ $350 USPTO fee, paid to the office at cost†

That is $567.50 all-in for one class, including a 5% card-processing fee on the USPTO fee ($17.50). Each additional class is $150 attorney + $350 USPTO.

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Refile
guarantee

If it's refused, the refile is on us

If we clear your mark to file and the USPTO still refuses it, we waive our professional fee and file one new application. The government fee is paid at cost and isn't refundable, and the USPTO makes the final call on registration. The refile work is on us. Read the guarantee terms →

Start free

Get your free US attorney check.

Based outside the US? The USPTO requires non-US applicants to be represented by a US-licensed attorney. Your GTC attorney is that representative, included in the flat fee.

Tell us about your brand

A US-licensed attorney searches the USPTO register, then emails your clearance read and a flat-fee quote. No payment, no obligation.

No payment required Reply within 1 business dayA GTC attorney reviews it & sends a flat-fee quote.

01Your request
02Goods & services
03More details
04Your details

Your request

In which countries do you want to register your trademark?*

Select every country or region you want protection in — we price each separately.

🇺🇸 United States of America

What's the name of your brand?*

The exact word or slogan to protect — spelling, capitalization and spacing all matter.

Which option best describes your trademark?*

Word only (e.g. NIKE), logo only (the swoosh), or both — this changes what we can protect.

💡 Not sure? Choose "Combined" if your brand uses both a logo and text together.

Does your trademark include non-English words, foreign characters, or carry a meaning in another language?*

If your mark uses foreign words or non-Latin script, offices require a translation/transliteration.

YesNo

Why GTC

An online-first firm, built for US brand protection.

Filed by

Paul Ditmyer

US Attorney, licensed in Florida

USPTO counsel of record

One platform, online-first

Start, pay, and track your US filing in one account, with every document and deadline in one place.

Nationwide rights, and beyond

One federal registration protects your brand in all 50 states, and the same team handles your EU, UK, and 100+ other jurisdictions as you grow.

A dedicated team that owns your matter

A named account team that knows your brand and stays with you from the first search to the certificate.

Attorney-led, flat fees

A US-licensed attorney signs and files every mark, at a flat fee with the USPTO's fee passed through at cost.

Your Customer Success Team

A dedicated team that owns your matter from start to finish.

Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.

Your Account Manager

Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.

Your Senior Account Manager

Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.

A named person, on email or a call, at every step.

Your dedicated GTC Customer Success Team

Which route

File with an attorney, or file it yourself?

You can file pro se at the USPTO. But the numbers favour counsel — and a refusal costs more than the filing did. Here is the honest comparison.

What mattersWith a GTC attorneyFiling it yourself

Clearance searchWith GTC: An attorney knockout search before you fileYourself: No search — conflicts surface after you have paid

Who signs the filingWith GTC: A US-licensed attorney, named on your applicationYourself: You file pro se, without counsel

Office ActionsWith GTC: Procedural Office Action responses includedYourself: You respond yourself, or hire counsel by the hour

Registration oddsWith GTC: Attorney-represented marks register at about 60%Yourself: Self-filed applications register at about 46%

What you payWith GTC: A flat fee, every line shown up frontYourself: Less upfront, with a higher risk of a costly refusal

Registration rates reflect USPTO data on represented versus pro-se applications.‡ Talk it through on a free call →

How long

From search to registered, across all 50 states.

Most US trademarks move on the USPTO's standard timeline. Here is what to expect.

Days 1–3
Attorney check

We search the USPTO register and an attorney reads your odds before you commit a dollar to filing.
Week 1–2
Filed at the USPTO

We draft, classify, prepare your specimen, and file your application as your attorney of record.
8–12 months
Examination

A USPTO examiner reviews your application, and we answer any procedural Office Action that comes back.
12–18 months
Registered

With no refusal, your mark registers, the certificate issues, and you can use the federal ® symbol.
Years 5–6, then 10
Maintenance & renewal

We track the Section 8 declaration of use and the 10-year renewals so your registration never lapses.

In their words

I've had the pleasure of working with Rajat for many years. He has expertly guided me through the process of registering my company in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more. His deep knowledge of trademark law across jurisdictions is impressive.

Darius Tay, ID

ExcellentTrustpilot

7,500+

Trademarks filed

10,000+

Clients served

107

Jurisdictions

In-house attorneys

US trademark questions, answered straight

What founders ask before they file

A US trademark is $200 per class for GTC's attorney work, plus the USPTO's $350-per-class government fee, paid to the USPTO at cost. A 5% processing fee applies to the USPTO fee. For one class that is $567.50 all-in, every line itemized before you pay.

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Protect your brand, nationwide

Start with a free US attorney check.

A US-licensed attorney reviews your brand, checks the USPTO register for conflicts, and maps your fastest route to a registered federal trademark. No payment, no obligation.

Get My Free Attorney Check Talk to a US Attorney

More markets

Also protect your brand beyond the US.

The same team files your trademark across 107 jurisdictions on one account. File directly in another market:

UAE

Filing in several at once? One Madrid application reaches 130+ territories

View all 107 jurisdictions

Attorney advertising. The information on this page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney–client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

* Attorney representation.: Every US trademark application filed through GTC is prepared and filed by a US-licensed attorney who appears as counsel of record on the USPTO application. Foreign-domiciled applicants are required by USPTO rule to be represented by a US attorney.
† USPTO filing fees.: The USPTO charges $350 per class of goods or services, paid directly to the US government and passed through at cost. A 5% payment-processing fee applies to government fees paid through us (about $17.50 per class), itemized separately before you pay. Government fees and refund treatment across every service we offer are governed by our Refund & Credit Policy.
§ Procedural Office Actions.: Standard procedural Office Action responses (specimen replacements, identification clarifications, disclaimer requirements, minor amendments) are included in the new-filing service fee. Substantive refusals — including §§ 2(d) likelihood of confusion and 2(e) descriptiveness — are quoted upfront before any further work begins. See scope of work for the full breakdown.
‡ Refusal & success statistics.: Roughly 40% of US trademark applications receive at least one Office Action, and likelihood-of-confusion (Section 2(d)) is the most common refusal, affecting about one in five applications (USPTO trademark statistics, 2023–24). Applicants represented by counsel register at materially higher rates than self-filed applicants — about 60% versus 46% across a study of ~5.4 million applications (D. Gerhardt & J. McClanahan, “Do Trademark Lawyers Matter?”).

Global Trademark Company LLC — 712 H Street NE, Suite 2094, Washington, DC 20002 — +1 609-431-5931