Once you have filed a federal trademark application, you will want to check its status from time to time. Fortunately, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office records are all online. They are also generally easy to access. Keep in mind that if you provided the USPTO with your email address, you should receive an update when the status of your application changes. Alternatively, if you have hired a trademark attorney, they should let you know when there are any updates. However, the USPTO online records allow you to check your trademark status whenever you want. Many people will want to take advantage of that. Fortunately, checking the status of your trademark application is very easy to do.
Method 1: Checking Trademark Status in TSDR
The easiest way to check your trademark application status is by using the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) website. In order to use TSDR, you will need your application serial number (or registration number, if you are looking for a registration). The application serial number is assigned to your application immediately upon filing. In fact, it appears on the confirmation page that follows your payment to the USPTO.
If you did not print the confirmation page or you receipt, write the number down, or otherwise save your serial number, that’s okay. If you included your email address in the application, then you should have received a confirmation email that also contains your serial number. Once you have your serial number or registration number, checking the status is easy. Just enter that number into the TSDR search bar and hitting “enter.” This will take you right to your application or registration.
Method 2: Finding Your Application By Searching
If you cannot find your application serial number or registration number, that’s okay! You can still check your trademark status. Instead of TSDR, you will need to use the Trademark Search System. While this can sometimes be trickier, depending on what your trademark is, you should have no problem locating your application. After clicking the link, click the green button that says “Trademark Search system.” From there, you can type in the words that make up your trademark in the search bar.
The downside of this method is that if your search yields many results, it can be more difficult to find your application. However, if that happens you might start using the filters on the left side to narrow down the relevant applications. For example, you can uncheck the “Dead” box if you know your application is active and still pending. Also, if you know the class of your products/services you can filter the results so that only that class is showing. Once you find your application or registration, click on the mark. This will open a new tab with additional information. In order to view the status, you will need to click the “View Details” button in the upper-right corner, which will take you to the TSDR page for your trademark.
Common Statuses
Here are some of the most common statuses you are likely to run into when checking the status of your trademark application.
New application awaiting assignment to an examining attorney.
This is probably the most common statuses you will see. It means that the application has not yet been reviewed by the Trademark Office. Due to processing delays, as of the time of writing it is taking the Trademark Office about 10 months to review new applications. If you filed your application within the past 10 months (or even a little longer), do not be surprised if this is the status you get for your application.
A non-final Office action has been sent (issued) to the applicant.
If you have received an office action, your application will have this status. The status is pretty self-explanatory. You will need to respond to the office action, addressing any issues it raised, or your application will go abandoned.
Notice of Allowance (NOA) sent (issued) to the applicant. Applicant must file a Statement of Use or Extension Request within six months of the NOA issuance date.
If your application was filed on an intent to use basis and has received all of the necessary preliminary approvals, the Trademark Office will issue a Notice of Allowance. As the status indicates, you will now need to file either a Statement of Use or a request for an extension of time to the deadline.
There are many other things you might see when checking your trademark status. Of course, if you are unsure about what the status means or how to proceed, you should consider hiring a trademark attorney. An experience attorney can help you navigate the application process.
Need Help Interpreting Your Trademark Application Status?
Hopefully this guide has helped you to locate your trademark application online. However, if you’re not very familiar with the process, the status might not make any sense to you. If you are unsure about your application, please call me at (480) 360-3499, email me at kevin@yourtrademarkattorney.com, or complete the contact form found on this page to schedule your free initial consultation today. I look forward to speaking with you.
