# How to Trademark a Clothing Brand: Class 25, Costs and Steps

> How to trademark a clothing brand in the US: search first, file in Class 25 for $350 per class, show the name on a label or tag, and expect 12 to 18 months.

- URL: https://clothify.io/blog/how-to-trademark-a-clothing-brand
- Published: 2026-11-12
- Updated: 2026-11-12
- Author: The Clothify team, Makers of Clothify
- Topic: Starting a clothing brand

## Key takeaways

- In the US you file a trademark application with the USPTO. Clothing is in Class 25 and the base fee is $350 per class.
- Search the USPTO's free trademark database before you file, because the fee is not refunded if a similar clothing mark blocks yours.
- Show the name on a neck label, hang tag or small chest mark. A slogan printed large across a shirt can be refused as decoration.
- The USPTO says registration usually takes 12 to 18 months, and there is no guarantee a trademark will register.

To trademark a clothing brand in the United States, search the USPTO's trademark database for similar names, then file an application in Class 25, the class for clothing, at $350 per class. Show the name the way a brand does, on a label, tag or small chest mark, answer any letters from the examining attorney, and expect the process to take 12 to 18 months.

- **$350** base filing fee per class
- **Class 25** clothing, footwear and headwear
- **12 to 18 months** the USPTO's usual time to register
- **30 days** for others to oppose after publication

This guide explains the USPTO's published process, checked on November 12, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. A trademark attorney can search and file for you.

## What a trademark protects for a clothing brand

A trademark protects what tells customers who made the piece: the brand name, the logo, sometimes a slogan. It does not protect a T-shirt graphic as art. That is copyright.

The [USPTO explains](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/what-trademark) that you become a trademark owner as soon as you use the mark with your goods, but those rights only reach the area where you sell. Registration is optional and gives stronger, nationwide rights.

- **TM** can be used with your brand name before you file
- **®** only after the USPTO registers the mark

## Step 1: Search before you spend

Search the name, its plural and sound-alikes in the USPTO's free [trademark search](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/search), and look hardest at clothing marks. A name can be refused when it is confusingly similar to a registered mark for related goods, even with a different spelling.

A clear search is not a guarantee. Do the wider checks too: [how to name a clothing brand](https://clothify.io/blog/how-to-name-a-clothing-brand) covers domains, social handles and other brands using the name.

## Step 2: Choose what to register and where

One option is to file the name in standard characters, which is not tied to one font or color. A separate logo application has its own fee. Choose the application based on the mark you actually use and want to protect.

1. **Mark** The name as plain words first, the logo later if budget allows
2. **Class** Class 25 for clothing, footwear and headwear
3. **Goods** Name the pieces you sell, such as T-shirts, hoodies and hats
4. **Basis** Already selling, or intent to use if you have not launched

The USPTO groups clothing in Class 25 on its [goods and services page](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/goods-and-services). Its [fee schedule](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/fees-payment-information/summary-2025-trademark-fee-changes) lists $350 per class for a complete base application. Free-form goods descriptions add $200 per class, with further charges for long descriptions; missing required information adds $100 per class.

## Step 3: Show the name the way a brand does

Clothing has a trap other products do not. If the mark only appears as a big design across the front of a shirt, the USPTO can refuse it as "merely ornamental", meaning shoppers would see decoration, not a brand.

Its [guidance on ornamental refusals](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/laws/ornamental-refusal-and-how-overcome-refusal) lists uses that do work:

1. **Neck label** A tag inside the garment or hat
2. **Hang tag** A tag on the outside of the piece
3. **Small chest mark** Discrete wording or a design on the pocket or breast area
4. **Patch** A small branded patch, like the one above a jeans pocket

![Three T-shirts with print areas drawn to scale, including a 3.5 inch left chest mark and the larger full front and back print areas](https://clothify.io/blog/t-shirt-design-placement/placement-map.webp)

*A small mark on the breast area is one of the USPTO's examples of proper use. A large front graphic alone can read as decoration.*

Plan this before you design. Our November 7 supplier example priced an inside tee label at $0.99; confirm label availability and cost for your chosen blank. [Clothing brand logo ideas](https://clothify.io/blog/clothing-brand-logo-ideas) shows marks that read at label size.

## Step 4: File and answer the USPTO

You file online with the USPTO. An examining attorney reviews the application and may send a letter called an office action. The [trademark process page](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/trademark-process) gives the deadlines:

1. **File** Pay the fee and keep your serial number
2. **Review** An examining attorney checks the application
3. **Office action** Respond within three months if you receive one
4. **Publication** Others have 30 days to oppose
5. **Registration** Or a notice of allowance for intent to use filings
6. **Statement of use** Due six months after the notice, with a $150 fee per class

Filing fees are generally not refunded when an application is refused, which is why the search comes first.

## What it costs over ten years

**USPTO trademark fees for one class**: Fees are per class of goods.

| Item | Fee |
| --- | ---: |
| Application (base fee, per class) | $350.00 |
| Statement of use (only for intent to use filings) | $150.00 |
| Declaration of use (between years 5 and 6) | $325.00 |
| Declaration and renewal (between years 9 and 10, then every 10 years) | $650.00 |

Source: USPTO trademark fees in effect since January 18, 2025. Checked 2026-11-12.

For a use-based application in one class, the base filing and first maintenance cycle total $1,325 at today's rates: $350 to apply, $325 between years five and six after registration, and $650 between years nine and ten after registration. Attorney fees and surcharges are extra. The USPTO lists the windows on its page about [keeping a registration alive](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/maintain/keeping-your-registration-alive).

**Design the mark you plan to protect.** Draft a name, a logo and the labels it sits on, then check them before you file. [See how Clothify works](https://clothify.io/studio)

## Where Clothify fits

Clothify helps you draft a name, typeset a logo and place it on a chest, a cap or a label. It does not search trademarks for you, file applications or give legal advice, and a name it suggests is not cleared for use. Treat every name as unchecked until you have searched it. The product tools are listed on the [features page](https://clothify.io/features).

## Questions about trademarking a clothing brand

### Do I need a trademark before I start selling?

No. Registration is optional, and you can use TM while you build. Search first so you do not build on a name someone else has registered for clothing.

### How much does it cost to trademark a clothing brand?

$350 in government fees for one class with pre-approved descriptions. Brands that also file a logo, or add a second class such as bags, pay the fee again for each.

### Can I trademark a T-shirt design?

Usually not as a trademark. Artwork is protected by copyright. A design becomes a trademark only when customers see it as the sign of your brand.

### Does a US trademark protect me in other countries?

No. Trademark rights are national. Each country or region has its own office and process.

**Draft your brand name and logo.** [Start your brand · Clothify](https://clothify.io/)

## Sources

- [How much does it cost?](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/how-much-does-it-cost), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [Summary of 2025 trademark fee changes](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/fees-payment-information/summary-2025-trademark-fee-changes), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [How long does it take to register?](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/how-long-does-it-take-register), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [Trademark process](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/trademark-process), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [Ornamental refusal and how to overcome this refusal](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/laws/ornamental-refusal-and-how-overcome-refusal), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [What is a trademark?](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/what-trademark), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [Keeping your registration alive](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/maintain/keeping-your-registration-alive), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.
- [Goods and services](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/goods-and-services), United States Patent and Trademark Office. Checked 2026-11-12.