TX · State trademark search
Texas trademark search & registration
If your business is based in Texas, trademark protection starts with a federal search — one USPTO registration covers Texas along with every other state. Search below, then read on for how Texas’s own state trademark register fits in.
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Federal (USPTO) — start here
A federal registration, filed once through the USPTO, gives nationwide rights that include Texas. It’s the right starting point for almost any business selling across state lines, online, or planning to expand beyond Texas.
Texas state registration
Like most states, Texas also runs its own trademark register, typically administered by the Secretary of State (or an equivalent state agency). It generally costs less and processes faster than a federal filing, but only protects the mark within Texas — it does not stop someone from using or registering the same name in another state. Check Texas’s Secretary of State site directly for its current process and fees.
When does a Texas state trademark make sense?
- Your business genuinely operates only within Texas — a local shop, restaurant or service business with no plans to sell out of state or online.
- You want fast, low-cost protection now while a federal intent-to-use application is still pending.
- You need to establish Texas-specific priority for a name ahead of local competitors.
For most brands — especially anything sold online, as software, or shipped across state lines — federal registration is the stronger, more durable choice, and state registration (if used at all) is a complement to it rather than a substitute.