Trademark classes, explained.
A trademark application is filed in one or more of 45 classes, and the classes you pick decide which goods and services the registration covers. A badly chosen class can leave gaps in your protection or force a second application with a later filing date.
The US uses the international Nice Classification, which has 45 classes. Classes 1 through 34 cover goods and 35 through 45 cover services. Each application lists the specific goods or services you offer, grouped by class, and USPTO fees are charged per class.
Choose classes for what you sell now or have a bona fide intention to sell, and leave out things you might sell one day. After filing, changes to the description can only narrow it.
How many trademark classes are there?
There are 45. Under the international Nice Classification the USPTO follows, classes 1 through 34 cover goods and classes 35 through 45 cover services.
Which trademark classes are most common?
Among the most used are Class 9 (downloadable software, apps, electronics), 25 (clothing, footwear, headwear), 35 (advertising, business and retail services), 41 (education and entertainment), and 42 (software as a service and tech services).
| Class | Covers | Industry guide |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, non-medicated soaps | Beauty |
| 5 | Dietary supplements, vitamins, pharmaceuticals | Supplements |
| 9 | Downloadable software, apps, electronics | Software |
| 25 | Clothing, footwear, headwear | Apparel |
| 29 / 30 / 32 | Foods, snacks, coffee, drinks | Food & beverage |
| 35 | Advertising, business services, retail stores | |
| 41 | Education, courses, entertainment | |
| 42 | Software as a service, tech services | SaaS |
| 43 | Restaurants, bars, catering, hotels | Restaurants |
What is trademark Class 35?
Class 35 covers advertising, marketing, business management and retail store services, including online stores. Registering your online store in Class 35 doesn’t replace registering the products themselves in their own goods classes.
How do I choose the right trademark classes?
Start from what you sell, then use the USPTO’s ID Manual to find acceptable wording for each item and the class it belongs to. Write the description to match how you do business.
Listing goods you don’t sell invites refusals and later challenges. Omitting goods you do sell leaves a gap in the registration that another business can fill. See trademark registration.
What happens if I choose the wrong trademark class?
The examiner will issue an office action. You can narrow the description or delete a class, but you can’t add goods or services the original application didn’t cover, so a badly chosen class can mean filing again and losing your filing date.
A registration covers the goods and services it lists, and it can also block a similar mark in a different class when the goods are related.
How much does each trademark class cost?
The USPTO’s base application fee is $350 per class, under the fee rule effective January 18, 2025. Surcharges of $100 to $200 per class apply to incomplete applications and to descriptions written in free-form text instead of ID Manual wording.
Filing in three classes costs three base fees. See the full USPTO fee table.
Can one trademark application cover several classes?
Yes. A multi-class application covers several classes under one filing, with a fee for each class. Later amendments are limited to deleting classes or narrowing the description.
More questions.
Q01Do I need to register in every class?
No. You need only the classes that cover the goods and services you use the mark for, or have a bona fide intention to use it for.
Q02Can someone else use my name in a different class?
Sometimes. Two businesses can share a name when their goods are unrelated and confusion is unlikely, but when the goods are related, a registration in one class can still block a similar mark in another.
Q03What is the USPTO ID Manual?
The USPTO’s searchable list of pre-approved descriptions of goods and services, each assigned to a class.
Keep reading.
Trademark Symbols (™ ® ℠)
When you can use ™ or ®, where the symbol goes and how to type it.
How to Do a Trademark Search
How to search the USPTO database and when a free search is not enough.
What Is a Trademark?
What counts as a trademark and how long the rights last.
Cease-and-Desist Letters
What to do when you receive a trademark cease-and-desist letter, and how to send one.
Trademark Registration
A clearance search and strategy before a USPTO filing that holds up.
Trademark Enforcement
Cease-and-desist letters, takedowns, UDRP, cancellations and monitoring.
Copyright
Copyright registration, DMCA takedowns when work is copied, and licensing.
Business Contracts
Custom contracts designed to hold up.
Business Formation
The right entity, filed correctly, in nearly any state.
Marketing Compliance
FTC and FDA review of ads, product claims and influencer deals.
Fractional General Counsel
A lawyer on speed-dial, without a full-time hire.
Trademark Monitoring
A year-round watch for copycat filings, with monthly attorney reviews.
Trademark Licensing & Monetization
Licensing, assignments, franchising and co-branding deals that turn a brand into income.
Business Legacy & Estate Planning
Plan who owns and runs the business, and the brand, after you.
IP Litigation
Trademark, copyright and trade secret disputes, taken to court when a letter isn’t enough.
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