On January 18, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented its Examination Guide that supersedes the November 2024 edition of the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure and any other USPTO guidance that may be inconsistent. The USPTO’s 2025 Examination Guide includes several changes, such as a new base application trademark form, trademark application fee increases, and other updated trademark-related fees.
The Replacement of the TEAS System with the new Trademark Center
Effective January 18, 2025, the USPTO retired the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) Plus and TEAS Standard trademark applications and replaced them with the Trademark Center, a new single electronic base application. The new single base application system provides a much smoother user experience for drafting and submitting trademark applications, and it features a docket that automatically saves drafts of trademark applications.
The retired TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard trademark applications had $250 per Class filing fees and $350 per Class filing fees, respectively. Under the new Trademark Center, all new base applications have $350 per Class filing fees. Further fees may apply to base applications for the following reasons: i) an additional $100 fee per Class for not meeting specific filing requirements (such as not disclaiming a generic or merely descriptive term or for not providing a translation of a foreign term); ii) an additional $200 fee per Class for using free-form text entry of goods and/or services rather than using the selected, predefined terms in the USPTO’s Trademark ID Manual; and/or iii) an additional $200 fee per Class for identifications of goods and/or services that exceed 1,000 characters.
Updates to Other USPTO Filing Fees
In addition to the above-mentioned fees for base applications under the new Trademark Center, the USPTO also updated the following trademark fees as of January 18, 2025:
| Type of Filing | Former Fee | New Fee (Effective 01/18/25) |
| Amendment to allege use (AAU), per Class | $100 | $150 |
| Statement of use (SOU), per Class | $100 | $150 |
| Petition to Revive an Application | $150 | $250 |
| Section 9 registration renewal, per Class | $300 | $325 |
| Section 8 declaration, per Class | $225 | $325 |
| Section 15 declaration, per Class | $200 | $250 |
Conclusion
The USPTO’s Examination Guide that became effective on January 18, 2025, includes a new Trademark Center that provides applicants with a much better user experience for preparing and submitting trademark applications with the USPTO; however, applicants need to be aware of how the new Trademark Center operates, the potential additional fees associated with base trademark applications, and the various other fees that have increased for USPTO trademark filings.
Paul Stevenson is a senior associate attorney with Ritter Spencer Cheng PLLC who practices trademark law and represents clients in various industries.
Blog Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only, and we are not providing legal guidance, so please consult with an attorney for specific legal advice.
