Serial Numbers are assigned to trademark applications when they are filed with the USPTO while Registration Numbers are assigned to when trademark applications are granted.
By Michael Kondoudis, Small Business Trademark Attorney
This is our EASY guide to trademark serial numbers and registration numbers. If you need to know what these numbers are, what they mean, and where to find them, then this guide is for you. In this guide, we discuss:
Part I: Trademark Serial Numbers
- what they are
- what they look like
- what the mean
- where to find them
Part II: Trademark Registration Numbers
- what they are
- what they look like
- what the mean
- where to find them
Part III: How Trademark Serial Numbers And Registration Numbers Differ
Part IV: Condensed Summary of Trademark Numbers
I. Trademark Serial Numbers
What Is A Trademark Serial Number?
A trademark serial number is a number that is assigned to a pending trademark application.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides trademark serial numbers. The USPTO gives a serial number to every trademark application. The USPTO assigns serial numbers to trademark applications when they are filed.
When a trademark application is filed, the USPTO generates an Official Filing Receipt with a serial number.
What Does a Trademark Serial Number Look Like?
Trademark serial numbers are unique eight-digit numbers assigned by the USPTO to all trademark applications. A trademark serial number looks like this:
90/456,123
Where Can I Find My Trademark Serial Number?
Every item of official correspondence issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) includes a trademark serial number. The easiest places to find a trademark serial number is to review the Official Filing Receipt or a Notice of Publication.
Trademark Filing Receipt for U.S. Trademark Application No. 86/915,697
Notice of Publication for U.S. Trademark Application No. 86/915,697
How Long Does It Take To Get A Trademark Serial Number?
0 seconds. The USPTO assigns a trademark serial number to every trademark application that it accepts for examination. Trademark serial numbers are assigned immediately after a trademark application is filed.
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Why Is A Trademark Serial Number Important?
Trademark serial numbers are used to identify trademark applications. At any one time, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may be responsible for considering hundreds of thousands of trademark applications. Assigning a unique number to each pending trademark application avoids confusion.
Trademark serial numbers have important uses.
Applicants can use serial numbers to check and monitor their trademark applications’ progress and identify submissions that relate to their applications.
The USPTO relies on trademark serial numbers to facilitate the processing of applications and match official correspondence with pending applications.
Every letter sent by the USPTO about a trademark application includes the relevant trademark serial number.
II. Trademark Registration Numbers
What Is A Trademark Registration Number?
A trademark registration number is a number that is assigned to a registered trademark.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides trademark registration numbers. The USPTO gives a registration number to every granted trademark application. The USPTO assigns registration numbers when trademark applications are granted.
When a trademark application is granted, the USPTO generates a Registration Certificate that includes a registration number.
What Does A Trademark Registration Number Look Like?
Trademark registration numbers are unique seven-digit numbers assigned by the USPTO to all granted trademark applications. A trademark regsitration number looks like this:
5,132,639
How Long Does It Take To Get A Registration Number?
Typically, between 12-17 months. The USPTO assigns registration numbers to applications when they complete the examination process, which usually takes between 12-17 months.
Where Can I Find My Trademark Registration Number?
Every Registration Certificate issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) includes a trademark serial number.
Registration Certificate for US Trademark No. 5,365,541
Why is a trademark registration number important?
Trademark serial numbers signify that a trademark is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Once the USPTO has assigned a registration number, a trademark owner is legally permitted to use the ® trademark symbol. Only a federally registered trademark owner can use the ® trademark symbol. It is against the law to use the ® symbol before you receive a trademark registration number.
Trademark serial numbers have important uses.
Applicants can use registration numbers to check and monitor the health and status of their trademark registrations and identify submissions to the USPTO related to their registrations.
III. Serial vs. Registration Numbers
Trademark Serial Number vs Registration Number
Trademark serial numbers and registration numbers differ in the following ways:
• Timing – Trademark serial numbers are assigned when applications are filed, while trademark registration numbers are assigned when applications are granted.
• Format + Length – Trademark serial numbers are eight digits, while trademark registration numbers are seven digits.
• Significance – Trademark serial numbers identify a trademark application, while a trademark registration number indicates a registered trademark.
Trademark serial numbers and registration numbers are similar in the following ways:
• Source – Both are assigned by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• Purpose – Both relate to trademarks at the USPTO
• Utility – Both are used to check the status of a trademark at the USPTO
Is A Trademark Serial Number The Same As A Registration Number?
No, trademark serial numbers and trademark registration numbers are not the same. Trademark serial numbers and trademark registration numbers are different. Trademark serial numbers differ from trademark registration numbers in format, length, and meaning.
IV. Condensed Summary
When a company or individual registers a name, logo, or phrase with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), they receive two important numbers – a trademark serial number and a trademark registration number. These trademark numbers ar every different. It’s important to know the difference between these two kinds of numbers in order to make sure you’re protecting your trademark correctly.
A trademark serial number is an eight-digit code that is assigned to each application for a trademark that is filed with the USPTO. This identifies the specific mark within the database of registered trademarks. The number looks like this: 87/110,654.
A trademark registration number is a unique 7-digit numeric identifier that indicates your mark has been officially registered by the USPTO. It looks like this: 6,425,567.
The two numbers serve different purposes – while a trademark serial number helps identify and track a trademark application, the trademark registration number is proof that your mark has been officially registered.
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For more than twenty years, Michael Kondoudis has been the go-to trademarking expert for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Michael is a USPTO-licensed trademark and patent attorney, educator, speaker, and author of the Amazon best-seller: Going From Business Owner to Brand Owner. He is also an authority trusted by national news media on major trademark stories.
Fun Facts: Michael is a member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court and an actual rocket scientist (B.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Indiana University 1994).
