Renewal and maintenance
Trademark renewal and maintenance
A registered trademark does not last on its own. The USPTO requires maintenance filings at set points, and we remind you before each window opens, with no subscription.
Your quote, shown first
The filings after registration
Getting a registration is not the last filing. To keep it, the owner has to file proof that the mark is still in use, and later renew it. The usual points are these.
| Filing | Window |
|---|---|
| Declaration of use (Section 8) | Between the fifth and sixth year after registration |
| Renewal (Sections 8 and 9) | Between the ninth and tenth year, then every ten years |
| Declaration of incontestability (Section 15) | Optional, after five consecutive years of continuous use following registration |
A grace period of six months follows each deadline, with an added fee. A registration that is not maintained is cancelled or expires, and the protection ends with it.
Why deadlines get missed
The first window opens years after the registration arrives, long after the original filing is a distant memory. People move, change email addresses and sell the business, and the USPTO writes to the address on file. A deadline can pass without anyone who knows about it still reading that mailbox.
Private companies also send letters that look like USPTO notices and ask for payment, which makes the real deadline harder to pick out. Our page on renewal letters, official or scam shows how to tell them apart.
What a missed window means
If a deadline and its grace period both pass, the registration is cancelled or expires. A new application is then the usual route, with a new fee, a new search and no earlier priority. Late filings are possible only inside the grace period, so the cheapest time to act is before the window closes.
Our reminder approach
When your mark registers, we record the dates of each window and email you before it opens. There is no monitoring subscription and no recurring charge. You pay only when you ask us to file.
What we do
- Confirm the registration status and the window you are in.
- Review the goods and services on the registration against what you still sell, and remove any you do not.
- Check your specimen and prepare the declaration or renewal.
- File with the USPTO and confirm the result to you.
What it costs
We quote a flat price for a maintenance or renewal filing. Call or send your details for the quote. The USPTO charges its own fee for each class, which we confirm when we talk. Both amounts are shown before you agree.
What you do
- Keep your email address up to date with us and with the USPTO.
- Tell us if the business, the owner or the product line has changed.
- Send a current photo or screenshot showing the mark in use.
Related pages
For the full path from search to registration, see register a trademark. If a deadline has already passed on an application, read about abandoned applications. To check a different name, use the free trademark search.
Related guides
- Trademark renewal letters: official or scam?
- Statement of use for a trademark
- Got a letter about your trademark? How to spot a scam
Talk to us: Call +1 (619) 782-6859 or email hello@argostrademark.com
This is general information, not legal advice.