How to Register a Trademark in Rhode Island (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Rhode Island · Last updated August 12, 2026
In Rhode Island, a state trademark or service mark is registered through the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, under the Registration and Protection of Trademarks chapter, R.I. Gen. Laws 6-2-1 et seq. The state filing fee is $50 per class, and a Rhode Island registration lasts ten years and is renewable for successive ten-year terms. State registration protects a mark only inside Rhode Island, so businesses selling across state lines or online usually file federally with the USPTO instead. Rhode Island has adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-41-1 et seq.) and provides a statutory right of publicity under R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-28.
How much does it cost to register a trademark in Rhode Island?
The Rhode Island Department of State charges a non-refundable $50 filing fee per class of goods or services. You file a separate application for each class you claim, so a mark covering two classes costs $100. This is a state fee and is entirely separate from the USPTO federal fee of $350 per class.
How long does a Rhode Island state trademark last?
A trademark or service mark registered with the Rhode Island Department of State is valid for ten years from the registration date. About six months before it expires, the state mails a renewal notice to the address of record. You renew for another ten years by filing the renewal application (Form 667) with a $50 fee.
Should I register my mark in Rhode Island or with the USPTO?
A Rhode Island registration protects your mark only within the state and suits a purely local business. If you sell across state lines or online, federal registration with the USPTO gives nationwide priority and the right to use the registered mark symbol. Many Rhode Island owners eventually file federally as they grow beyond the state.
What statute governs trademarks in Rhode Island?
State trademark registration is governed by the Registration and Protection of Trademarks chapter, R.I. Gen. Laws 6-2-1 et seq. It sets out what marks may be registered, the application requirements, the ten-year term, and the renewal process. The Department of State administers the statute through its Business Services Division.
Trademark registration at the Rhode Island Department of State
Rhode Island administers state trademark and service mark registration through the Department of State, Business Services Division, under R.I. Gen. Laws 6-2-1 et seq. (the Registration and Protection of Trademarks chapter). Unlike the federal system, Rhode Island requires a separate application for each class of goods or services, each with its own $50 non-refundable fee, so a multi-class mark is filed as multiple applications rather than one. Applicants submit specimens showing the mark as actually used, and the mark must already be in use in Rhode Island. A registration runs for ten years, and the state proactively mails a renewal notice roughly six months before expiration; renewal is made on Form 667 for another $50. Because the office does not conduct the kind of full likelihood-of-confusion examination the USPTO performs, a Rhode Island certificate is best understood as public notice of a local claim rather than a substitute for a federal registration. Rhode Island has enacted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-41-1 et seq.) and, distinctively, protects a person's name, portrait, or picture from unauthorized commercial use by statute under R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-28, with treble damages available for knowing violations.
Relevant Laws
R.I. Gen. Laws 6-2-1 et seq. (Registration and Protection of Trademarks)
Rhode Island's state trademark statute, governing which marks may be registered, application requirements, the ten-year term, renewal, and enforcement of state-registered marks.
Rhode Island Department of State, Trademark/Service Mark Application Process
The official Business Services Division page for state trademark and service mark registration, including the $50-per-class fee and filing instructions.
R.I. Gen. Laws 6-41-1 et seq. (Uniform Trade Secrets Act)
Rhode Island's adoption of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, defining trade secrets and providing injunctive relief, damages, and attorney fees for misappropriation.
R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-28 (Action for unauthorized use of name, portrait, or picture)
Rhode Island's statutory right of publicity, allowing an injunction and damages, including treble damages for knowing violations, against unauthorized commercial use of a person's name or likeness.
Regional Variances
How Rhode Island state registration compares
Rhode Island (Department of State)
State-only rights under R.I. Gen. Laws 6-2-1 et seq. A separate application per class at $50 per class, non-refundable. Term is ten years, renewable for ten-year periods on Form 667 ($50).
Federal (USPTO)
Nationwide priority, a presumption of ownership, and the registered mark symbol. One application can cover multiple classes at $350 per class. Term is ten years, renewable indefinitely with Section 8 and 9 filings.
Common law (use alone)
Rights arise from use in the actual Rhode Island trading area without any filing. Free, but the hardest to enforce, geographically narrow, and no right to the registered mark symbol.
Related Rhode Island business-IP statutes
Trade secrets: UTSA adopted
Rhode Island enacted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act at R.I. Gen. Laws 6-41-1 et seq., with injunctions, damages, and attorney fees for willful and malicious misappropriation.
Right of publicity: statutory
R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-28 bars unauthorized commercial use of a person's name, portrait, or picture and allows treble damages for knowing violations, unlike states that rely only on common law.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Verify use of the mark in Rhode Island
Before filing days after startingConfirm the mark is actually used in commerce within Rhode Island and collect specimens showing how it appears on goods, packaging, or service materials, since the Department of State requires proof of use.
Search for conflicting marks
Before filing days after startingSearch Rhode Island Department of State records and the USPTO Trademark Search database for confusingly similar marks on related goods or services, because the state does not run a full likelihood-of-confusion examination.
Map goods and services to classes
Before filing days after startingIdentify each international class your mark is used in. Rhode Island requires a separate application and a separate $50 fee per class, so class count drives both paperwork and cost.
File the Rhode Island trademark application
When ready days after startingSubmit the completed application and specimens to the Department of State, Business Services Division, with the non-refundable $50-per-class fee, one application per class.
Calendar the ten-year renewal
Year 10, before expiration days after startingDocket the expiration date and watch for the state's renewal notice roughly six months out. Renew on Form 667 with a $50 fee to keep the Rhode Island registration active for another ten years.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify use of the mark in Rhode Island | Confirm the mark is actually used in commerce within Rhode Island and collect specimens showing how it appears on goods, packaging, or service materials, since the Department of State requires proof of use. | - | Before filing |
| Search for conflicting marks | Search Rhode Island Department of State records and the USPTO Trademark Search database for confusingly similar marks on related goods or services, because the state does not run a full likelihood-of-confusion examination. | - | Before filing |
| Map goods and services to classes | Identify each international class your mark is used in. Rhode Island requires a separate application and a separate $50 fee per class, so class count drives both paperwork and cost. | - | Before filing |
| File the Rhode Island trademark application | Submit the completed application and specimens to the Department of State, Business Services Division, with the non-refundable $50-per-class fee, one application per class. | trademark-application | When ready |
| Calendar the ten-year renewal | Docket the expiration date and watch for the state's renewal notice roughly six months out. Renew on Form 667 with a $50 fee to keep the Rhode Island registration active for another ten years. | - | Year 10, before expiration |
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A registration with the Rhode Island Department of State only gives you rights within Rhode Island. It does not stop a business in another state from using a similar mark there. For nationwide protection you need a federal registration from the USPTO, which grants priority across all fifty states and the right to use the registered mark symbol.
No. Rhode Island requires a separate application for each class of goods or services you claim, and each carries its own non-refundable $50 fee. So a mark used in three classes means three applications and $150 in state fees. This differs from the USPTO, where one application can cover multiple classes at $350 per class.
Yes. Rhode Island enacted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, codified at R.I. Gen. Laws 6-41-1 et seq. It defines a trade secret, allows injunctions and damages for misappropriation, and permits attorney fees in cases of willful and malicious misappropriation. Protecting confidential business information under this statute is separate from registering a trademark.
Yes. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-28 creates a statutory action against the unauthorized use of a person's name, portrait, or picture for commercial purposes without written consent. A plaintiff can seek an injunction and damages, and a court may award treble damages when the defendant knowingly used the name or likeness unlawfully.
No. The Rhode Island application is designed to be filed by the business owner, and the $50-per-class fee makes it inexpensive. That said, a clearance search and advice on class selection can prevent conflicts, and counsel is worth considering if you also plan to file federally with the USPTO or expect a dispute with another user.
Other Rhode Island guides
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