USPTO data · Updated weekly
USPTO trademark processing times
How long each step of a U.S. trademark application is taking right now, measured from every application that completed that step in the last six months. Recomputed weekly from the USPTO file histories; last updated 5 Oct 2026.
The USPTO is getting faster. The first examiner review now comes about 124 days after filing, down from 161 days a year ago, 23% quicker.
Every step, right now
| Step | Typical | Fastest quarter | Nine in ten within |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing to the examiner's first review | 4 months | 4 months | 4.5 months |
| Office Action response to the examiner's next action | 15 days | 3 days | 1.5 months |
| Approval to publication in the Official Gazette | 28 days | 27 days | 32 days |
| Publication to registration (already in use) | 1.5 months | 1.5 months | 1.5 months |
| Publication to Notice of Allowance (intent to use) | 2 months | 2 months | 2 months |
| Statement of Use to registration | 5 months | 3.5 months | 8 months |
| Filing to registration, already in use | 7 months | 6.5 months | 13 months |
| Filing to registration, intent to use | 20 months | 16 months | 3.2 years |
"Typical" is the median. Steps the USPTO runs on a fixed schedule, such as publication to registration, show the same figure in every column. Download every snapshot (CSV).
Already filed? See where your own application stands and when its next step is due.
How long until an examiner looks at it
The wait for the first examiner review is the longest single wait for most applications, and the one the USPTO's own backlog drives. The line is the typical wait; the shaded band covers the fastest quarter to nine in ten.
How long until it registers
For a mark already in use when it was filed, registration follows publication on a fixed schedule, so the total mostly tracks the examination queue and any Office Action along the way. Intent-to-use applications add the time it takes the applicant to start using the mark and file proof of it, which is why they typically take 20 months.
What speeds an application up, and what slows it down
- An Office Action adds the response time (3 months, extendable to 6) plus about 15 days for the examiner to review the answer. See what happens after an Office Action.
- Filing on intent to use adds the proof-of-use stage, with up to three years of extensions.
- Choosing goods and services from the USPTO's ID Manual avoids a common reason for an Office Action.
- A clear name avoids the other: an earlier similar mark in the same class. Check it before filing, and see how often applications like yours register.
How many applications register at all, by filing year and class: U.S. trademark registration statistics.
Common questions
How long does it take to register a trademark in the U.S.?
Right now, applications filed for a mark already in use are typically registered about 7 months after filing, and nine in ten within 13 months. Applications filed on intent to use take longer, typically about 20 months, because they also need a Statement of Use.
How long until a USPTO examiner reviews my trademark application?
Currently about 4 months after filing: half of first examiner actions in the last six months came within 124 days of filing, and nine in ten within 139 days.
How long does the USPTO take to review an Office Action response?
Typically about 15 days from the response to the examiner's next action, and nine in ten within 52 days.
How long after a Statement of Use is a trademark registered?
Typically about 5 months, and nine in ten within 8 months.
How these are measured
- Source. The USPTO's own file histories for U.S. applications, loaded daily. Madrid designations are left out: they follow a different path.
- Current speed, not old averages. Each figure covers the steps that were completed in the 180 days before the date shown, the same way the USPTO reports its own pendency. A step that is still waiting is not counted until it finishes.
- Steps. Measured between the file-history events that mark them: filing, the first examiner action, the response to an Office Action, approval, publication, the Notice of Allowance, the Statement of Use and registration.
- Refresh. Recomputed every week; the chart keeps one point per month before this page began and one per week after.