Before you register a trademark, you want to know what it will cost. That is a reasonable question, and one the legal industry has not always made easy to answer. Vague quotes, "it depends," and hourly billing that stays a mystery until the invoice arrives are all common. This guide breaks down what a trademark actually costs in Canada: the government fees set by CIPO, what the professional fee pays for, and how to read a quote so you know what you are getting before you commit.
The good news is that trademark registration is one area where predictable, fixed pricing is genuinely available. Understanding the cost to register a trademark in Canada comes down to keeping two numbers separate and knowing what sits behind each one.
The Two Layers of a Trademark Cost
Every Canadian trademark registration carries two separate costs. Keeping them apart makes the total much easier to understand.
The first layer is the government filing fee, set by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the same no matter who files. As of January 2026, CIPO's trademark fee schedule sets the fee at $491.06 CAD for the first class of goods or services and $149.04 CAD for each additional class. These fees are non-refundable, even if the application is later refused, so they reward careful preparation before filing.
The second layer is the professional fee for the legal work of preparing and prosecuting the application. This is the part that varies, because providers price and bill differently, from fixed fees to hourly rates. The most useful number is a fixed quote you can confirm in writing before any work begins, so the total holds no surprises.
To estimate both layers for your own situation, Clearview's trademark cost calculator adds the government fees by class to the fixed legal fee.
What the Professional Fee Covers
It helps to know what you are paying for. Behind a trademark filing sit several pieces of substantive work, and they are where a registered agent's involvement earns its cost.
Clearance Search and Analysis
A proper clearance search goes well beyond checking CIPO's database for identical marks. It looks for marks that sound alike, look alike, or carry a similar meaning, and it reviews common-law sources beyond the register. The analysis is the part that matters most. A search can return dozens of results, and judgment is needed to tell which ones pose a real conflict and which do not. Filing on a mark that a thorough search would have flagged is a common reason applicants lose their non-refundable government fees.
Application Drafting
The goods and services description sets the scope of your protection. It has to be specific enough to satisfy the examiner and broad enough to cover what the business actually does. Drafting also involves strategic choices: whether to file the word mark, the design, or both, and which of the 45 Nice classes genuinely fit. For many businesses, one to three classes cover the core of what they do, and each additional class adds $149.04 CAD in government fees, so it is worth being deliberate.
Examination Support
After filing, a CIPO examiner reviews the application under the Trademarks Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. T-13). An Examiner's Report is a routine part of the process and is not a sign that the application is in trouble. It often asks for a clarification or a minor amendment. Responding can involve a legal argument grounded in the Act, which is where careful work adds the most value. The companion guide on how to register a trademark in Canada walks through the stages in more detail.
Guidance Through a Multi-Year Process
A straightforward registration can take roughly 12 months from filing when no objections or oppositions arise, and longer when they do. Across that time, someone monitors deadlines, answers questions, and keeps the file moving toward registration.
Why Professional Quotes Differ
Two quotes for "a trademark application" can land at very different numbers for reasons that have nothing to do with one being inflated. A few factors drive most of the variation:
- Billing model. A fixed fee sets the price up front. Hourly billing makes the total depend on how many hours the file ends up taking, which is hard to predict at the outset.
- Scope of the search. A quote that includes a full clearance search with written analysis covers more work than one that screens only for identical marks.
- Examination support. Some quotes include responding to a routine Examiner's Report. Others treat each response as a separate charge.
- Number of classes. Each class adds a government fee and some additional drafting work.
When two quotes look different, the useful question is what each one actually covers, not simply which headline figure is lower.
Clearview's Fixed-Fee Packages
Clearview offers trademark registration through three fixed-fee packages, all plus applicable taxes, with CIPO's government fees passed through at cost and no markup:
- Filing ($999 CAD): Trademark strategy advice, class and goods/services selection, CIPO application preparation and filing, monitoring through registration, and certificate delivery. Suited to clients who are comfortable filing without a clearance search.
- Search + Filing ($1,699 CAD): Everything in the Filing package, plus a comprehensive clearance search and a written search report. The common starting point for most clients.
- Rush Search + Filing ($1,999 CAD): Everything in Search + Filing, plus expedited preparation and filing: your application prepared and filed within one business day of a complete file (instructions, payment, and KYC/onboarding complete), versus a standard three-to-five-business-day turnaround.
- Search Only ($800 CAD): A standalone comprehensive clearance search and written report, without filing. Suited to clients vetting a name before committing or seeking a standalone clearance opinion. If you proceed to filing within 60 days, a $100 credit applies to the filing fee, so your total matches the Search + Filing package.
Strategy advice and status updates through examination are included in every filing package. If CIPO issues a non-substantive Examiner's Report, the response is scoped and quoted up front and billed as incurred, charged only if a report issues. For a single-class application, the all-in cost is the package fee plus CIPO's first-class government fee:
| Package | Professional fee | First-class government fee | All-in (single class) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing | $999 | $491.06 | ~$1,490 |
| Search + Filing | $1,699 | $491.06 | ~$2,190 |
| Rush Search + Filing | $1,999 | $491.06 | ~$2,490 |
| Search Only | $800 | — | ~$800 |
Each additional class adds $149.04 CAD in government fees. A fixed fee tells you the all-in cost before the work starts, rather than leaving the final number uncertain until the file is complete.
How to Read a Trademark Quote
Whatever route you choose, a quote is far easier to judge once you know what it includes. Before committing to any provider, it is worth asking:
- Is a clearance search included, and how thorough is it?
- Does the fee cover responding to an Examiner's Report?
- Are amendments or corrections billed separately?
- Is a registered trademark agent named on the file? Representation before CIPO's Office of the Registrar of Trademarks is reserved to registered trademark agents.
- What happens, and what would it cost, if an objection or opposition arises?
A lower headline fee that leaves these out can cost more by the time the work is actually done. Knowing what is included lets you read any quote on its own terms and budget with confidence.
Costs Beyond Registration
A trademark cost is not only the upfront number. A Canadian registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely, so renewal is a recurring cost worth planning for. As of January 2026, CIPO's renewal fee is $595.06 CAD for the first class and $185.49 CAD for each additional class.
A few situations carry their own separate costs, depending on what happens with the mark: responding to an opposition if a third party challenges the application, recording a change of owner or agent, or filing in other countries if the brand expands abroad. These are not part of the registration fee and vary with the circumstances. For most businesses, budgeting for the registration itself and keeping the 10-year renewal in mind covers the costs they will actually face.
Get a Quote for Your Trademark
Every trademark is a little different, and the right approach depends on the mark, the goods and services involved, and whether similar marks already exist. Transparent pricing means knowing what you will pay, and what that fee covers, before you commit.
Contact Clearview for a fixed-fee quote based on your trademark, with CIPO government fees passed through at cost and no surprise charges.