The fastest way to check if a trademark is registered in the United States is to search the USPTO’s Trademark Search system, the free online database maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It contains every active and inactive federal trademark application and registration. But a federal search alone won’t give you the full picture, because trademarks can also be registered at the state level or protected through common-law use without any formal registration at all.
Search the Federal Database
The USPTO’s Trademark Search system is open to anyone at no cost through the USPTO website. You don’t need an account to run a basic search, though logging into a free USPTO.gov account gives you a more stable experience during periods of heavy traffic and access to additional search features.
Start by searching the exact name, word, or phrase you’re interested in. The system will return results showing any matching or similar marks, along with key details: the current status (live or dead), the registration or serial number, the owner’s name, the filing date, and the goods or services the mark covers. Pay close attention to the goods and services listed. Trademark rights are tied to specific categories of products or services, so an identical name registered for restaurant services doesn’t necessarily block you from using it for software.
Don’t stop at exact matches. Search for phonetic equivalents, alternate spellings, and visually similar variations. A mark that sounds like yours or looks close enough to cause consumer confusion can still be a problem, even if it’s spelled differently. The USPTO provides handouts on field tag searching and more advanced techniques using regular expressions, plus a free webinar series on federal trademark searching that walks you through the process step by step.
Each result includes a status indicator. “Live” means the application or registration is currently active. “Dead” means it was abandoned, cancelled, or expired. A dead mark may still carry some residual rights if the owner is still using it in commerce, so don’t assume a dead filing means the name is completely available.
Check State Trademark Registrations
Federal registration isn’t the only kind. Businesses can also register trademarks at the state level by filing with the trademark office in each state where they want protection. These state registrations won’t appear in the USPTO database.
To search state records, you’ll need to check individually with each relevant state’s trademark office, typically housed within the secretary of state’s office. Many states offer online search tools, though the quality and ease of use vary widely. If you’re only doing business in one or two states, start there. If you’re planning to operate nationally, a state-by-state search becomes more labor-intensive but is still worth doing for the states where you’ll have the most presence.
Look for Unregistered Common-Law Trademarks
In the U.S., trademark rights don’t require registration. A business that uses a name or logo in commerce can establish what are called common-law trademark rights simply through that use. These rights are geographically limited to the area where the mark is actually being used, but they’re real, and they can conflict with a later federal registration if the common-law use started earlier.
The USPTO specifically recommends searching the internet for common-law use. Run the name through multiple search engines and look for businesses offering goods or services related to yours. Check social media platforms, business directories, domain name registrations, and industry-specific marketplaces. You’re looking for anyone already using the same or a confusingly similar name in connection with products or services that overlap with what you plan to offer.
This is the least structured part of the process, and it’s easy to miss things. For a more thorough search, you can use a professional trademark screening service, which will scan commercial databases, domain registries, and business filings that a simple Google search might not catch.
Search International Registrations
If you’re planning to sell products or services outside the United States, or if you want to make sure an international brand isn’t already using your name, WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization) maintains the Global Brand Database. This free tool aggregates trademark records from dozens of national and regional offices worldwide, letting you search across multiple countries in a single query.
WIPO also offers Madrid Monitor, which tracks international trademark applications filed through the Madrid System, the main route businesses use to register trademarks in multiple countries simultaneously. Between the two tools, you can get a broad view of international trademark activity.
Keep in mind that the Global Brand Database doesn’t cover every country’s trademark office. WIPO continues to add new collections (Peru and Paraguay were added in early 2026, for example), but gaps remain. For countries not yet included, you may need to search the national intellectual property office directly.
How to Read Your Search Results
Finding an existing registration that matches your name doesn’t automatically mean you can’t use it. Trademark conflicts depend on several factors: whether the goods or services overlap, whether consumers would likely be confused, and the geographic scope of each party’s use. A registered mark for “Apex” covering dental equipment is unlikely to block “Apex” for a clothing brand.
Conversely, finding no results doesn’t guarantee the name is free to use. Common-law rights, pending applications that haven’t been published yet, and state registrations you haven’t checked could all present obstacles. The search is a critical first step, not a final answer.
For straightforward name checks, the combination of the USPTO database, a state-level search, and an internet scan for common-law use will cover the vast majority of potential conflicts. If the stakes are high, if you’re about to invest heavily in branding, packaging, or marketing, a professional clearance search conducted by an experienced trademark attorney or search firm can dig deeper and provide a legal opinion on the risks.