Search U.S. federal trademark records

The USPTO public search system includes federal trademark applications and registrations. A result may be pending, registered, abandoned, cancelled, or expired.

The federal database does not contain every name used as a trademark in the United States. Some parties may have rights based on use even without a federal registration, and state records or business-name databases may contain additional information.

An identical-name search is only the beginning. A more useful federal search considers:

• Alternate spellings.
• Words that sound alike.
• Singular and plural forms.
• Spacing and punctuation changes.
• Translations or similar meanings when relevant.
• Important components of a multi-word name.
• Similar designs when the mark includes a logo.
• Related goods and services, including those in coordinated or different classes.

The USPTO explains that marks can be similar in sound, appearance, meaning, or overall commercial impression.

When a record appears, review more than the name. Look for:

• Current status.
• Owner name.
• Application serial number.
• Registration number, if registered.
• Goods and services.
• International classes.
• Filing and registration dates.
• The mark drawing or design.
• Documents and status history in the official record.

Pending means the application is still moving through the process and has not yet become a registration.

Registered means the USPTO issued a federal registration. The registration still must be maintained through required filings.

Abandoned means an application is no longer active.

Cancelled or expired means a registration is no longer active.

A dead federal record cannot itself serve as an active federal registration blocking a later application. However, the name may still be in use, and use can create other rights or risks. Dead records should therefore be investigated rather than automatically ignored.

Class numbers organize goods and services, but different classes do not automatically make two similar marks safe. The important question is whether consumers could believe the goods or services come from the same source. Related offerings may appear in different classes.

Open the free Trademark Class Finder.

No result does not equal automatic availability. A federal search does not, by itself, establish that:

• Nobody is using the name without a federal registration.
• No conflicting state registration exists.
• No relevant domain, marketplace, or business-name use exists.
• A trademark office will approve a future application.
• Use of the name is free from infringement risk.

For a broader investigation, continue to Trademark Clearance Basics.

The USPTO retired the Trademark Electronic Search System, commonly called TESS, on November 30, 2023. It was replaced by the current Trademark Search system. Older articles may still use the term “TESS search,” but users should rely on the current USPTO system and current search guidance.