You have probably been quoted "$250 per class" for a trade mark application and are trying to work out what your business will actually pay once your logo, your tagline and a couple of extra classes are in the picture. The figure you were quoted is real, but it is only one line of a fee schedule that varies with how you file, what you claim and how long you keep the mark alive. This guide sets out the current IP Australia fees, shows how they combine into a total, and flags the situations where the standard number does not apply.
The rule behind the fee schedule
Trade mark fees in Australia are set by IP Australia under the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth), with the amounts prescribed in the Trade Marks Regulations 1995 (Cth). The underlying rule is simple: fees are charged per class of goods or services, per application. Every separate sign you want protected, whether it is a business name, a logo or a phrase, needs its own application, and each class you list in that application attracts its own fee.
Two choices drive most of the variation. First, the filing pathway: you can file a standard application, or use the TM Headstart pre-assessment service before you commit to a formal filing. Second, your specification: if your goods or services match one of the pre-approved descriptions in IP Australia's "picklist", you pay a discounted rate; if you need to draft custom wording, you pay more. The trade mark timeframes and fees page published by IP Australia is the authoritative source for all of the figures below.
Application fees, class by class
The standard application fees are set out in the table below. All figures are in AUD per class of goods or services.
| Application type (online) | Fee per class | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Standard application using the picklist | $250 | Your goods or services match a pre-approved description in the picklist |
| Standard application with custom wording | $400 | You draft your own specification because the picklist does not fit |
| Series application using the picklist | $400 | Two or more similar variants of one mark filed together as a series |
| Series application with custom wording | $550 | A series filed with a custom specification |
| Additional class added after filing | $450 | You expand your specification after the application is filed (series: $600) |
| Postal application | $450 (standard) / $600 (series) | You cannot file through online services |
The picklist is IP Australia's searchable list of more than 60,000 goods and services descriptions organised into the 45 classes of the international Nice Classification. Sticking to it saves $150 per class, which is why IP Australia actively steers applicants towards it. The catch is that the picklist only helps if a description genuinely covers what you sell. Forcing your offering into a pre-approved phrase that does not describe it can create problems later, because your protection only extends to the goods and services you actually claim.
Series applications are worth knowing about if you file several close variants of the same mark, such as a word in different stylised forms. They are cheaper than filing each variant as a separate application, but they are treated as one series only if the marks are substantially identical or differ in a way that does not substantially affect their identity. A trade mark attorney can tell you whether your variants qualify.
TM Headstart: the pre-assessment pathway
TM Headstart is IP Australia's pre-application service. An examiner assesses your mark and gives you an indicative report before you formally file, which can flag obvious problems such as descriptiveness or conflicts before you spend money on a full application. It is designed for first-time filers and works in three steps, each with its own fee, as set out in IP Australia's TM Headstart guide.
| Headstart step | Fee per class | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: request and assessment | $200 | Your pre-application is assessed and you receive an examiner's report |
| Step 2: amend your application (optional) | $150 to $200 | Making changes in response to the examiner's report |
| Step 3: conversion to a standard application | $130 | Formalising your application after the assessment |
The minimum total for Headstart is $330, which is Step 1 plus Step 3 for a single class with no amendments. The important detail is that "minimum". If the examiner's report prompts you to amend your application, Step 2 adds $150 to $200 per class, and the more classes you carry, the more each step costs.
Headstart also runs on strict deadlines. You have five business days from receiving the examiner's report to make amendments, and another five business days to formalise the application. IP Australia warns that your application will lapse if you miss a deadline, and Headstart fees are not refunded. The examiner can flag potential barriers to registration but cannot check whether your mark infringes an existing registration, give legal advice, or guarantee success.
Renewal: the cost every 10 years
Registration lasts 10 years from the filing date, and there is no limit on the number of times a trade mark can be renewed. IP Australia's renewal guidance sets out the fees.
| Renewal method | Fee per class |
|---|---|
| Online services | $400 |
| Other payment methods | $450 |
| Late renewal within the grace period | $400 per class plus $100 per month (or part month) late |
You can renew up to a year before the renewal date, and IP Australia sends a reminder notice two months before renewal is due. If you miss the date, there is a six-month grace period in which you can still renew, but the late fee of $100 per month applies on top of the standard $400. Miss the grace period entirely and the registration lapses, meaning you lose the rights that came with registration and would have to start a new application if you want protection back.
Working out your total: worked calculations
The fee schedule produces different totals depending on your facts. Here are the common scenarios, walked through step by step.
A business name word mark in two classes, using the picklist
Suppose you run a coffee roaster and want to register your business name for roasted coffee (Class 30) and retail services (Class 35). Both descriptions are on the picklist. The calculation is $250 per class multiplied by two classes: $250 x 2 = $500. That is your total government fee for the application. Three classes would be $750.
TM Headstart with one amendment
You decide to use Headstart because you are a first-time filer and want early feedback. Step 1 costs $200. The examiner's report suggests your specification is too broad, so you amend it, which costs $150. You then formalise the application for $130. Total: $200 + $150 + $130 = $480 for one class. Compare that with $250 for a straightforward picklist application. Headstart costs more up front, but it can save the whole filing fee if the assessment reveals the mark is unlikely to be registered.
A word mark and a logo filed separately
A word mark and a logo are different signs, so they need two applications even if both cover the same single class. On the picklist that is $250 + $250 = $500 in government fees for one class of protection for each sign.
Renewing a two-class mark one month late
The standard online renewal for two classes is $400 x 2 = $800. If you are one month past the renewal date, add $100: $900. Three months late, $1,100.
Edge cases where the standard figure does not apply
The standard per-class figures assume a straightforward online application with a specification that fits the picklist, filed on time. Several situations move the numbers:
- Custom wording off the picklist: if your offering is novel or the picklist descriptions do not reflect what you sell, the per-class fee jumps from $250 to $400. Over three classes that is $1,200 instead of $750.
- Series applications: filing several variants of one mark together costs $400 per class with the picklist, more than a single standard application. You only get the benefit if the marks genuinely qualify as a series.
- Adding classes after filing: if you realise you missed a class after submitting, an additional class costs $450. Choosing the right classes up front avoids this premium.
- Renewing late: the grace period keeps your registration alive, but each month (or part month) of lateness adds $100 per class. Twelve days late still costs the extra $100.
Getting professional help to confirm the cost
Nothing in the fee schedule obliges you to use a lawyer. You can file a trade mark application yourself through IP Australia's online services, and many small businesses do exactly that when their mark is distinctive and their classes are straightforward.
Where professional help earns its fee is in the decisions that change the number. A trade mark lawyer or registered trade mark attorney can run a clearance search to find similar marks you would not see by browsing the register, draft a specification that fits the picklist where possible and uses custom wording only where it earns its keep, and advise on which classes to claim now versus later. They can also manage the process when it stops being mechanical: responding to an examiner's report on descriptiveness or prior rights, working through an opposition, and structuring renewals so the $100-per-month late fees never arise.
It is also worth knowing the limits of the free information. IP Australia's examiners will not advise you on whether your mark infringes someone else's registration, will not recommend a course of action, and cannot guarantee your application succeeds. A practitioner's job is to give you that advice so you do not pay filing fees for a mark that was never going to register. Their professional fees sit on top of the government fees, so ask for a quote that separates the two before you commit.
The fee most businesses misquote
If you remember one number from this guide, remember this: the $250 picklist rate is a discount, not a default. Most small business specifications need at least some custom wording, because the picklist does not neatly cover hybrid offerings, novel services or bundled goods and services. The moment you leave the picklist, the per-class fee rises to $400, and the $150 gap compounds across every class you claim. When someone quotes you a price for trade mark registration, ask whether it assumes picklist or custom wording, how many classes it covers, and whether it includes Headstart, because those are the variables that move the final figure.
To summarise: IP Australia charges $250 per class for a standard picklist application and $400 per class for custom wording, with series, additional-class and postal fees above that. TM Headstart runs from $330 per class across its two stages, plus $150 to $200 if you amend. Renewal costs $400 per class online, with a $100 per month late fee inside the six-month grace period. Fees are per class and per application, so a word mark and a logo are two applications even in the same class. Budget for the government fees, add a buffer for clearance advice and objection responses, and diarise the renewal date a year out so the cheap part of registration does not become the expensive part.