Do trademarks expire? Yes. A UK registration lasts ten years and then has to be renewed. If you miss the renewal date, you have six months to renew late: the IPO charges the renewal fee, currently £245 for the first class and £60 for each extra class, plus a £60 late fee, and the mark stays on the register. After those six months the mark is removed. You then have a further six months to ask for it to be restored, with a written explanation and a £125 restoration fee on top of the renewal fees, and the IPO restores it only if it accepts the failure to renew was unintentional. Miss both windows and the registration is gone. The official figures are on GOV.UK, and our trademark renewal service handles the reminders and the filing for you.
Do trademarks expire for good the moment you miss renewal?
Not for good, but that is when the problems start, and the danger isn’t only the extra fee. One of the most frustrating situations I’ve dealt with recently started with a renewal we’d chased for six months. The mark expired, and in the meantime someone else filed a very similar application. A simple renewal became a late renewal, an opposition, and extra work and cost. Restoration has a catch too: under rule 37 of the Trade Marks Rules 2008, you can’t sue someone who, in good faith, started using a similar sign while your mark was off the register.
How do we stop a renewal being missed?
We remind clients well before the date, follow up, and keep following up. When your adviser chases a renewal, it isn’t admin for the sake of admin. If a mark has lapsed, we check the register for anything filed in the gap and deal with the renewal and any opposition together. You can run a first check yourself with our free trademark search. Be wary of renewal letters from companies other than the IPO, too: we’ve warned about misleading renewal letters before.
What does renewing on time give you?
Ten more years of protection with no gap for anyone to try their luck. If a renewal reminder has been sitting in your inbox, I’d deal with it now. If you hold several marks, our trademark registration and renewal services keep track of the deadlines and the paperwork across the whole portfolio. You can book a free call, email enquiries@thetrademarkhelpline.com or ring 0161 833 5400.
Related questions
- I got a trademark renewal letter or invoice. Is it a scam?
- What would it cost me to rebrand if I am forced to change my name?
- Will not having a trademark affect selling my business?
This answer is for information purposes only and does not constitute trademark advice or guidance. Last reviewed 25 September 2026. First shared as a LinkedIn post.
