Section 8 Renewals & Other Maintenance Filings
Section 8 Renewals & Other Maintenance Filings
After registration — keep your mark alive, enforceable, and incontestable.
Filings that keep your registration alive and incontestable — Section 8 declarations of use, combined Section 8 & 9 ten-year renewals, and Section 15 declarations of incontestability.
As we celebrate the milestones of your trademark registration, it's crucial to remember the key dates that maintain its protection and benefits. Acting promptly ensures continuous protection and avoids the possibility of cancellation. Let us help you navigate these milestones with ease and confidence.
Between the fifth and sixth anniversaries of your registration, you are required to file a Section 8 Declaration, along with a specimen and the associated fee, to affirm your trademark's continuous use. This step is essential to keep your trademark active and enforceable.
For those who need a little extra time, you can benefit from a grace period up to six months following the sixth anniversary, for a nominal additional fee of $100.00 per class. This provides a flexible option to ensure your trademark remains in good standing without interruption.
Don't forget: to solidify your trademark's longevity, the combined Sections 8 & 9 form submission is due every 10 years following your initial registration. This process not only maintains your trademark's registration but also reaffirms your commitment to its enduring value and protection.
Four maintenance filings that keep your registration alive.
Registration is the start, not the finish. These are the post-registration filings we handle so your mark stays enforceable, incontestable, and on the register for the long run.
- Section 8 Declaration of Use
Filed between the fifth and sixth anniversary, with a current specimen for each class. We audit the goods and services and trim what is no longer in use to keep the registration clean.
- Combined Section 8 & 9 Renewal
The ten-year filing that carries your registration into its next decade. Same evidence discipline, with renewal language calibrated to USPTO scrutiny.
- Section 15 Incontestability
After five years of continuous use on the Principal Register, a Section 15 declaration locks in the strongest defenses available to a U.S. trademark owner.
- Docketing & Reminders
We track the filing windows for every client registration and surface reminders well ahead of statutory deadlines — no more last-minute scrambles.
From specimen review to filing receipt — a clean workflow.
Send us your registration number and we'll handle the rest. Each step is documented so you know exactly where your filing stands.
- 01Registration Audit
We pull the current registration record, check the filing window, and confirm which goods and services remain in active use.
- 02Specimen Collection
We work with you to gather a current specimen for at least one item per class — packaging, screenshots, or labels acceptable to the USPTO.
- 03Goods/Services Trimming
Items no longer in use are deleted to preserve the registration's integrity and avoid a fraud-on-the-USPTO challenge later.
- 04Declaration Drafting
We prepare the Section 8 (or combined 8 & 9) declaration and, where eligible, the Section 15 declaration of incontestability.
- 05Client Review
You review the declaration, specimen, and goods list before anything is filed.
- 06Electronic Filing
We file electronically through TEAS and send you the official USPTO filing receipt for your records.
Timeline: most maintenance filings are prepared and filed within 7–14 days of receiving your specimens.
Prove continued use between the fifth and sixth anniversary.
Between the fifth and sixth anniversary of registration, the owner must file a Section 8 declaration confirming the mark remains in use in commerce on the registered goods, supported by a current specimen for at least one item per class.
A six-month grace period is available after the sixth anniversary for an additional USPTO fee of $100.00 per class. We review the goods and services in light of actual current use, identify any items that should be deleted to preserve the integrity of the registration, and prepare a clean filing that holds up to USPTO scrutiny.
Combined Sections 8 & 9 filings keep the registration on the books.
Every ten years following your initial registration, the registrant files a combined Section 8 and Section 9 renewal. The same use evidence applies, and the same care in trimming unused goods preserves the strength of the mark for the next decade.
We track the windows for our clients and prepare each renewal so that the registration moves into its next ten-year cycle without interruption.
Unlock the ultimate safeguard for your trademark.
After diligently maintaining your mark in continuous use in commerce for five years following its registration — or its publication under section 12(c) — you're eligible to file a Section 15 declaration. This pivotal step fortifies your trademark with an ironclad layer of protection, making it incontestable.
The power of incontestability is a privilege exclusive to marks registered on the Principal Register. This status is not available to marks on the Supplemental Register, highlighting the unique advantage of the achievement.
You may file the declaration within one year after the completion of any five-year period of continuous use, post-registration or post-publication under section 12(c). This timing often aligns with the Section 8 declaration, streamlining the process. To include the Declaration of Incontestability under Section 15, please select the Premium Renewal Service.
Maintenance is the cheapest insurance a brand owner buys — and the most expensive thing to forget.
Don't let a calendar reminder become a cancellation notice.
Send us your registration number and we will check the filing windows and confirm the next required step. Reach us by email at orders@trademarkraft.com or WhatsApp at +1 (760) 234-1231.
* USPTO Section 8 renewal fees per class are $325 currently as of Jan 10, 2026.
Maintenance filings — common questions.
Send us your registration number — we'll handle the rest.
Maintenance is the cheapest insurance a brand owner buys, and the most expensive thing to forget. Email orders@trademarkraft.com or WhatsApp +1 (760) 234-1231 with your registration number, and we'll confirm the next deadline and quote a fixed fee for the filing.
