Trademark Classes: Complete List of All 45 Classes

Trademark classes divide goods and services into 45 categories used by the USPTO and many trademark offices worldwide. Start with the list below, then confirm your class using the specific product or service description that matches how you use your mark.

Key Takeaways

• The Nice Classification contains 45 international classes, Classes 1 through 34 cover goods and Classes 35 through 45 cover services.
• A class number and an acceptable identification of goods or services are separate application requirements.
• A business may need multiple classes when it sells goods, provides services, operates a store, or uses its mark on merchandise.
• USPTO filing fees generally apply to each class, so adding classes increases the government filing cost.
• Class 35 covers services such as advertising, business administration, and retail store services, not the products sold through a store.
• Classification helps organize a trademark search, but marks in different classes can still conflict if their goods or services are related.

List of All 45 Trademark Classes

The USPTO uses the international Nice Classification for most goods and services. The following table gives you a scannable starting point. Classes 1 through 34 are goods classes. Classes 35 through 45 are service classes. Each linked class number leads to WIPO's official Nice Classification resource, where you can review current class headings and explanatory notes.

These headings summarize broad areas. They do not replace the precise identification required in a trademark application.

Trademark Classes Explained: Goods Versus Services

The first question is what you provide under the mark. A good is a product customers obtain, such as clothing, software downloaded to a device, cosmetics, or packaged food. A service is an activity you perform for others, such as education, financial consulting, software hosting, medical treatment, or restaurant service.

The distinction matters because a company can provide both. A restaurant may use its mark for restaurant services in Class 43 and sell packaged sauce in Class 30. An online shop may sell clothing in Class 25 while using the same mark for online retail store services in Class 35. A software company could offer downloadable software in Class 9, non-downloadable software in Class 42, and software training in Class 41.

Do not assume that forming a business or operating a website creates a separate trademark service. Class selection follows the goods or services actually offered under the mark. Your business model, customers, delivery method, and product purpose can all affect the classification of trademarks.

Class headings are also broader than the language normally used in an application. Selecting Class 25 does not tell the USPTO which clothing products you sell. You still need an identification such as a specific type of clothing. Review acceptable identifications of goods and services before relying on a general category.

How to Choose the Correct USPTO Classes

Use this free research process before filing. It separates choosing a class from drafting the identification that defines the scope of your application.

1. List each commercial activity. Write down every product you sell and every service you perform under the mark. Separate current offerings from genuine planned offerings.
2. Decide whether each item is a good or service. This narrows the possible USPTO categories to Classes 1 through 34 or Classes 35 through 45.
3. Describe each item precisely. Note its purpose, material, users, and delivery method. A product's purpose or format may place it in a different class than its everyday name suggests.
4. Search the USPTO Trademark ID Manual. Use plain-language terms and synonyms. Review the descriptions and class numbers returned for the closest matches. The manual is more specific than the 45 class headings.
5. Check explanatory notes. Use the current Nice Classification to understand inclusions, exclusions, and related classes. If your wording does not appear in the ID Manual, check the USPTO's current instructions before drafting custom language.
6. Review related activities. Consider retail services, training, installation, maintenance, hosting, or merchandise only if you actually provide or genuinely plan to provide them under the mark.
7. Run a broader clearance search. Search your proposed class and classes containing commercially related goods or services. Classification alone does not decide whether a mark is available.

You can also review USPTO trademark categories when translating a business activity into application language.

Commonly Confused Classes: 35, 41, and 44

Class 35 is a service class. It includes advertising, business management, business administration, and certain retail or wholesale store services. It does not cover every product sold through a store. If your online shop sells your branded cosmetics, the cosmetics may belong in Class 3, while separately branded online retail store services may fall in Class 35.

A Class 41 trademark covers education, training, entertainment, sporting, or cultural services. Examples can include conducting classes, providing professional training, organizing entertainment events, and offering sports instruction. It does not cover medical treatment simply because the provider educates a patient during an appointment.

Class 44 covers medical, veterinary, hygienic, beauty, and agricultural services. A wellness business may therefore face a Class 41 versus Class 44 question. A fitness course or educational wellness workshop can point toward Class 41. Medical diagnosis, medical treatment, beauty care, or veterinary care can point toward Class 44. The provider's credentials or marketing label alone does not settle the issue. Focus on the service delivered to the customer.

Other common overlaps include downloadable software in Class 9 versus hosted software services in Class 42, clothing in Class 25 versus retail clothing store services in Class 35, and restaurant services in Class 43 versus packaged foods in Classes 29 or 30. For technology products, a focused overview of Trademark Class 9 can help distinguish software and electronic goods from related services.

If your business spans overlapping classes, your identification is difficult to draft, or a search reveals similar marks, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. A trademark attorney can map your actual commercial activities to the appropriate classes, draft acceptable identifications, assess potential conflicts, and prepare the application. Responses typically arrive within a day, giving you a practical way to review class strategy before paying nonrefundable filing fees.

Multi-Class Applications and Trademark Costs

You may include more than one class in a U.S. trademark application. Each class must contain its own identification of goods or services, filing basis, and supporting information. If the mark is already in use, you may also need evidence showing qualifying use for the goods or services in each class.

A single brand often needs multiple classes when it supports distinct revenue activities. Common examples include:

• Online store: Product classes for branded goods and potentially Class 35 for retail store services.
• Restaurant: Class 43 for restaurant services and another class for branded packaged food or beverages.
• Software company: Class 9 for downloadable software, Class 42 for software as a service, or Class 41 for training.
• Branded merchandise: Class 25 for clothing, Class 18 for some bags, or Class 21 for drinkware.

The USPTO generally calculates application filing fees by the number of international classes. Additional fees may apply depending on the application and the identification language used. Because the USPTO can revise its fee schedule, verify the current amounts and requirements on USPTO.gov immediately before filing.

Budget should inform your strategy, but avoid adding speculative categories merely to seek broad protection. You need a valid filing basis for the listed goods and services. A narrower application covering core activities may be more manageable than unsupported claims across many classes. If you file based on planned use, review the separate requirements for proving use later. A proper trademark specimen must connect the mark to the relevant goods or services.

Trademark Classes, Searches, and U.S. Class Codes

Classification and clearance answer different questions. Classification asks where your goods or services belong. Clearance asks whether your mark is too close to an existing mark used for related goods or services. Finding no identical mark in your chosen class does not establish availability.

Start with the most likely international class, then search coordinated or commercially related classes. Similar marks can conflict across class lines when the goods or services are related in the marketplace. Conversely, two listings in the same class are not automatically conflicting. A class can contain products that differ in purpose, buyers, or trade channels.

Searchers sometimes encounter U.S. class codes such as 100 or 101 in trademark records. These domestic codes come from the USPTO's historical classification structure and may still appear as administrative or search information. They are not additional Nice classes to select for an ordinary application. Current goods and services are generally filed under the applicable international class from 1 through 45.

Do not confuse class codes with design search codes. International classes organize goods and services. Design search codes categorize visual elements in logos, such as animals, plants, geometric shapes, or celestial objects. A comprehensive logo search may use both the relevant goods or services and codes for the design elements.

For protection outside the United States, use an international trademark search plan that accounts for each country's records, related classes, translations, and local filing rules.

International Trademark Classes and Filing Mistakes

Trademark international classes are the same 45 Nice classes used as the foundation for USPTO trademark classifications. This standardization makes class information easier to compare across trademark offices, but it does not create a worldwide registration or identical legal rights in every country. Each jurisdiction applies its own examination standards, procedures, and identification requirements.

WIPO publishes new editions and versions of the Nice Classification. New products and services may be added, wording may change, and particular items may be clarified or reassigned. Check the current version when filing instead of copying a description from an old registration.

Common classification mistakes include relying only on a class heading, selecting a class based on the company's industry rather than the specific offering, and treating every activity as Class 35 because the business sells something. Applicants also overlook delivery formats. Downloadable software, hosted software, printed educational materials, and live instruction can belong in different classes even when they address the same subject.

Another mistake is drafting an identification that is broader than the actual use or planned use. You generally cannot broaden the identification after filing, so the original wording needs to be accurate without claiming unsupported products or services. Review current USPTO instructions if an examiner requests clarification or amendment. For foreign filings, compare the local requirements with the international trademark classes used in your target markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does a Trademark Cost?

A trademark application's cost depends partly on how many international classes it includes. The USPTO charges filing fees by class, and other fees may arise based on the application or later filings. Attorney fees, search work, and foreign applications are separate expenses. Check the USPTO's current fee schedule before filing because government amounts and fee categories can change.

How Many Trademark Classes Are There?

There are 45 trademark classes in the Nice Classification. The system assigns Classes 1 through 34 to goods and Classes 35 through 45 to services. A trademark application must identify at least one applicable class, but a single mark may appear in several classes when the owner uses it for distinct goods or services.

How Many Classes Are in the Nice Classification?

The Nice Classification contains 45 classes, including 34 goods classes and 11 service classes. WIPO maintains the classification and publishes updated editions and versions. The system also includes explanatory notes and an alphabetical list that provide more detail than class titles, which helps applicants distinguish products or services that seem to overlap.

What Are Classes of Trademarks?

Classes of trademarks are numbered categories for the goods and services connected with a mark. They classify commercial offerings, not the legal format of the mark itself. A word mark and a logo used for the same product may therefore use the same class, while one brand used for unrelated offerings may require several classes.

Is Class 35 a Good or Service?

Class 35 is a service class. It can include advertising, business management, business administration, and properly identified retail or wholesale services. Physical products displayed or sold by a Class 35 business remain classified in their own goods classes. Your application should distinguish the store or business service from any branded merchandise you produce.

What Is the Difference Between Trademark Classes 41 and 44?

Class 41 generally covers education, training, entertainment, sports, and cultural activities, while Class 44 generally covers medical, veterinary, beauty, hygienic, and agricultural services. A provider offering both instruction and treatment may need both classes if the mark identifies each service. The correct result depends on the activities described, not merely the business's name or general field.