What happens after I file my trademark application?

Once an application for a federal trademark registration is filed with the Patent and Trademark Office (commonly referred to as the PTO), the PTO will assign the application a serial number and send that serial number to the applicant. If you apply with paper forms by mail, your serial number will be mailed to you within a few weeks-to-months of submitting your application. If you file your application online via the PTO’s Trademark Electronic Application System, you will be sent a serial number almost immediately by e-mail.

Over the next few months, an employee at the PTO known as an examining attorney will review your application to ensure that the proper fees were paid and to determine if the application complies with the trademark rules and regulations. The examining attorney will then provide you with notification of whether your application has been rejected or granted.