Trademark classes are the 45 categories, 34 for goods and 11 for services, that the USPTO uses to sort what your brand name or logo covers, and you pay a separate fee for each class you file in. The system in force for every application filed this year is the 13th edition of the Nice Classification, which took effect on January 1, 2026. Pick the right class and your application moves cleanly. Pick a "close enough" class and you can pay for protection that does not cover what you actually sell.
This guide explains how the classes work, what changed in 2026, what each class costs, and a practical way to choose yours.
TL;DR
- There are 45 classes: Classes 1 to 34 cover goods, Classes 35 to 45 cover services. Your brand may need more than one.
- The 13th edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 13-2026) applies to every application filed on or after January 1, 2026.
- The USPTO base fee is $350 per class. A $100 per-class surcharge applies if the application is missing required information, so complete it fully.
- Choose your wording from the USPTO ID Manual whenever you can. Custom wording can add fees and invite questions from the examiner.
- Registration is not the finish line: you must file maintenance documents between years 5 and 6 and again between years 9 and 10.
Table of Contents
- What trademark classes are and why they exist
- Goods versus services: the first decision
- The classes new businesses use most
- What changed in 2026
- How much trademark classes cost
- How to choose your classes: a five-step method
- Why classes matter for conflicts and opposition
- Our perspective: classes are a business decision, not a form field
- Keep the registration alive after you file
- Learn the filing process step by step
- FAQ
- Sources
What trademark classes are and why they exist
A trademark registration is not a blanket claim on a word. It protects a mark for specific goods or services. To keep those categories consistent across countries, the U.S. uses the international classification as its controlling system, and it has done so for applications filed since September 1, 1973.
The practical meaning: if you sell coffee mugs under the name "Redwood Ridge," you register that name in the class for mugs. If you also run a café under the same name, that is a separate class for the café services. Each class needs its own fee, its own description of what you sell, and its own proof that you use (or intend to use) the mark for those items.
According to WIPO, the classification contains 45 classes, 34 of them for goods and 11 for services. The USPTO's own page on goods and services draws the key line: goods are tangible products, and services are activities you perform for others.
Goods versus services: the first decision
Before you look at any class number, sort what you offer into two piles.
- Goods are things you make or sell: a hot sauce, a skincare line, a mobile app sold as software, a T-shirt.
- Services are things you do for other people: consulting, repairs, restaurant service, online platforms people use, custom printing for a client.
Many California businesses are both. A surf brand that sells hoodies and also runs a surf school has goods in Class 25 and services in Class 41. A software startup might file in Class 9 for downloadable software and Class 42 for software-as-a-service. A common mistake, according to the USPTO's guidance, is to conflate the two, or to choose a class that looks near enough but does not describe the offering. The USPTO does not refund fees for a wrong class, so the decision is worth ten minutes of care before you pay.
The classes new businesses use most
You do not need to memorize all 45. These are the classes new founders most commonly need.
| Class | Covers | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cosmetics and cleaning products | Skincare line, soap |
| 5 | Pharmaceuticals and supplements | Vitamins, wellness products |
| 9 | Software and electronics | Downloadable apps, devices |
| 25 | Clothing, footwear, headwear | T-shirts, hats, hoodies |
| 29 and 30 | Prepared foods, coffee, snacks | Packaged snacks, baked goods |
| 35 | Advertising and business services, online retail | E-commerce store, marketing agency |
| 41 | Education and entertainment | Courses, events, coaching |
| 42 | Technology and software services | SaaS, web design, development |
| 43 | Food and drink services | Restaurants, cafés, catering |
Treat this as a map, not a verdict. The class heading is only a summary. What defines your protection is the specific wording of the goods and services you list under it. The class number sorts your application; the description defines your rights.
What changed in 2026
The 13th edition of the Nice Classification became effective on January 1, 2026, and all new applications filed on or after that date must use the updated classifications. The changes are targeted rather than a rewrite, but they matter if your product sits near a moved item.
Two examples from the research worth knowing:
- Electrically heated clothing now sits in Class 25 with apparel, rather than with heating apparatus in Class 11, according to a law firm summary of the U.S. impact.
- Certain eyewear moved to Class 10, per the WIPO announcement of the new edition.
The same law firm summary notes that existing registrations are not retroactively affected, while applications filed from 2026 forward must follow the updated structure. If you drafted your goods list from an older blog post or a competitor's registration from a few years back, check it again. The WIPO page points applicants to the Modifications index of the edition, which shows exactly which entries moved. The USPTO also updated its ID Manual to reflect the new edition, so searching there is the quickest way to see where your product lands today.
How much trademark classes cost
Cost scales with the number of classes, which is why choosing carefully also protects your budget.
The USPTO fee page sets the base application fee at $350 per class. If your brand covers clothing in Class 25 and custom printing in Class 40, you pay $350 twice, for $700 in base fees. Three classes means $1,050.
The surcharges to avoid
The USPTO adds $100 per class when an application lacks the base requirements. That includes missing the applicant's domicile address or legal entity type, or not selecting your goods and services from the ID Manual. The fee applies to each class in the application, even if classes are later deleted or added. Writing your own free-form description can cost more still: our guide on avoiding the $200 USPTO surcharge walks through how that plays out for California filers.
Here is a hypothetical example. An apparel founder in Los Angeles files in Class 25 with a complete application and ID Manual wording: $350. The same founder files with a hand-written description of "cool streetwear for people who surf": the application no longer meets the base requirements, and extra fees and a likely examiner question follow.
Budgeting beyond the first filing
Filing is not the only cost. If you file based on intent to use, there are later steps with their own per-class fees, which we cover in our guide to intent-to-use trademarks. If your plans include incorporating or expanding abroad, it also helps to understand how incorporation costs are framed for international companies, since a trademark budget sits alongside entity and compliance costs. Add the per-class fees for each country where you plan to protect the brand.
How to choose your classes: a five-step method
- Write a plain list of what you sell today and within the next three years. Include products and services separately. Do not add things you have no real plan to offer.
- Search the ID Manual. Use the USPTO's Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual and look for entries that describe each item in your list. Copy the entry exactly.
- Note the class number attached to each entry. The manual tells you where each item belongs under the current edition. Do not guess from the class heading alone.
- Decide which classes are essential. Each class costs $350 in base fees, so rank them. Core revenue comes first. Side ideas can wait for a later application.
- Check the result against your real business. Would a customer or an examiner see a match between your description and what you actually sell or will sell? If a wording feels like a stretch, it probably is.
The ID Manual is not exhaustive. If it has no accurate entry, a custom description is allowed, but expect a closer review and possible extra fees. Aim for manual entries first.
Why classes matter for conflicts and opposition
Classes also affect who can block you. An examiner and other businesses compare your mark against existing marks for related goods and services. Related does not always mean same class: a mark for coffee and a mark for a café can collide, because customers may assume a common source. That is why a search before filing should cover your classes and the neighboring ones. Our walkthrough on trademark searches explains how to run one, and a piece on likelihood of confusion shows how small wording changes can reduce conflicts.
After the examiner approves your application, it is published in the Trademark Official Gazette. Publication opens a 30-day period in which anyone who thinks your registration would harm them can oppose it. The application is not yet a registration at that stage. An opposition is a formal proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, not an email exchange. That is one point where many DIY filers decide to bring in a licensed attorney, and it is why accurate classification from the start reduces your exposure.
Our perspective: classes are a business decision, not a form field
We work with California entrepreneurs and corporations who treat compliance as something to get right once and maintain. Trademark classes follow the same logic. The form asks for a class number, but the real question is what you want to be able to stop others from doing.
A pattern worth avoiding: people choose a class because it sounds right, not because it matches the ID Manual wording, then discover the cost and delay of fixing it. Founders who avoid this spend an evening building their goods and services list first, and only then open the application. File narrow and accurate for what you do now, and add classes as the business grows into them. A tight application you can defend is worth more than a broad one that draws an office action.
Be honest about the limits too. USPTO examining attorneys cannot give you personal legal advice, according to the USPTO's basic guidance, and many applicants hire a trademark professional when they receive an office action or face an opposition. Our courses teach you to file well yourself; they do not replace a licensed attorney when a dispute starts.
— Peter
Keep the registration alive after you file
A registration does not run on its own. The USPTO's maintenance schedule requires a Section 8 Declaration of Use between years 5 and 6, and a combined Section 8 and 9 filing for renewal between years 9 and 10, with fees per class. Miss a deadline and the registration can be cancelled, which means starting over. Because maintenance fees also scale per class, every unused class you added "just in case" costs you again later. Set calendar reminders the day your certificate arrives.
Learn the filing process step by step
If you prefer to file yourself, our Trademark Course is a one-time $37 purchase that walks you through the process on video. You can find it, along with our Incorporation Course and Limited Liability Company Course, on the courses page. If you are also forming your entity, the same page covers that step. For deeper reading before you buy, start with our guide to picking trademark classes that pass USPTO review and our Trademark Center walkthrough on avoiding application errors.
FAQ
What are the 45 trademark classes?
Classes 1 to 34 cover goods, from chemicals and cosmetics to clothing and food. Classes 35 to 45 cover services, such as business services, education, software services and food service. The full list appears in the USPTO's International Schedule of Classes of Goods and Services.
How much does a Class 25 trademark cost?
The USPTO base fee is $350 for one class, and Class 25 (clothing, footwear and headwear) is one class. A complete application with ID Manual wording stays at $350. Surcharges of $100 per class apply if required information is missing, and further costs arise later if you file on an intent-to-use basis.
What are the key changes to the Nice Classification in 2026?
The 13th edition took effect on January 1, 2026. Among the changes, electrically heated clothing now sits in Class 25, and certain eyewear moved to Class 10. Check the WIPO Modifications index and the current ID Manual before you finalize your list.
How do I pick a trademark class?
List what you sell, then match each item to the closest entry in the USPTO ID Manual and use that entry's class. Separate goods from services, because they fall into different class ranges. If one item does not fit any entry, treat it as a signal to review it more closely before adding a custom description.
Can I file in more than one class?
Yes. One application can include several classes, and you pay the base fee for each. Many businesses file their core class first and add others when they launch new products.
Sources
- WIPO: Thirteenth Edition of the Nice Classification
- USPTO: Guidance for users, Nice 13-2026
- TMEP: International classification
- USPTO: Goods and services
- USPTO: Trademark fee information
- USPTO: Additional fees for trademark applications
- USPTO: Approval for publication
- USPTO: Maintaining your federal registration
- USPTO: Basic facts about trademarks
- Harris Beach Murtha: Nice Classification changes