How to Register a Trademark With CIPO in Canada

How do you register a trademark in Canada?

Canadian federal trademark registration is administered by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). You can file an application yourself or appoint a trademark agent.

The basic process is to search for potentially conflicting trademarks, define the trademark you want to register, identify and classify the goods or services associated with it, file the application and fee, respond to any CIPO examination issues, and then pass through publication and the opposition period before registration.

Registration is not mandatory to use a trademark in Canada, but CIPO explains that registration provides the registered owner with the sole right to use the mark across Canada for the registered goods and services for 10 years, subject to the Trademarks Act and continued maintenance of the registration.

What should you check before filing?

CIPO recommends searching the Canadian Trademarks Database before filing. The search can help identify existing or pending trademarks that could conflict with your proposed mark.

A preliminary search is not mandatory, but CIPO recommends checking different possible versions of a proposed trademark. For a word mark, that can include alternative spellings and relevant French equivalents.

CIPO does not perform a clearance search for you and does not provide legal or business advice about whether you should adopt a particular trademark.

Define the trademark you want to register

A trademark application must contain a representation or description, or both, that clearly identifies what you are seeking to register. Additional requirements apply to certain types of trademarks.

You must file a separate application for each trademark you want to register, although one application can cover multiple goods or services associated with that trademark.

How do you list goods, services and Nice classes?

Your application must identify the goods or services associated with the trademark in specific and ordinary commercial terms. They must also be grouped according to the Nice Classification.

The Nice Classification contains 45 classes: 34 classes of goods and 11 classes of services. CIPO does not classify the goods or services for you; the applicant or the applicant's agent is responsible for selecting the appropriate classes.

CIPO's Goods and Services Manual provides pre-approved descriptions and their corresponding Nice classes. As of January 1, 2026, CIPO applies the 13th Edition of the Nice Classification.

Why does the number of classes matter?

Canadian trademark application fees are class-based. For an online application in 2026, the first class costs $491.06 CAD and each additional class costs $149.04.

The additional-class obligation is based on the classes applicable to the goods and services as of the filing date. Removing goods or services after the filing date does not eliminate an additional-class fee that was already payable.

How much does it cost to register a trademark in Canada?

For payments received in 2026, CIPO lists these application fees:

• Online application: $491.06 CAD for the first class.
• Online application: $149.04 CAD for each additional class.
• Application submitted by another method: $640.10 CAD for the first class.
• Application submitted by another method: $149.04 CAD for each additional class.

CIPO adjusts prescribed trademark fees annually. The amount that applies depends on when the Registrar receives the payment, so the current official fee schedule should be checked when paying.

For new applications filed on or after June 17, 2019, there is no separate final registration fee. The registration fee still listed by CIPO applies to applications with a filing date before June 17, 2019.

What is required to obtain a filing date?

A trademark application must meet the filing requirements, including identifying the applicant, identifying the trademark and the associated goods or services, and paying the fee required to obtain a filing date.

For application fees, CIPO explains that only the prescribed fee for the first class is required to obtain a filing date. If additional classes apply, their prescribed fees must still be paid before the application can be advertised.

CIPO's 2026-2027 performance target is to issue a filing date within five business days after receiving an electronic application that meets the filing requirements, including fees. For a compliant paper application, the target is within eight weeks. These are performance targets rather than guarantees for every application.

Can you apply for a Canadian trademark online?

Yes. CIPO provides Trademark E-Filing for new trademark applications and certification mark applications. The service lets you enter the applicant information, identify the trademark, specify and classify the goods or services, and submit the application electronically.

CIPO's current online trademark services require a My Canada Business Account to log in. CIPO accepts online fee payment by credit card or deposit account.

Using CIPO's online filing route also gives the lower first-class application fee: $491.06 in 2026 compared with $640.10 when the application and fee are submitted by another method.

How long does CIPO take to examine a trademark application?

The full trademark registration process has no single guaranteed completion time. Applications pass through filing formalities, examination, responses to any objections, approval, publication, the opposition period and registration.

CIPO's current processing information forecasts an examination wait of approximately 8.1 months for applications filed in September 2026.

Separately, CIPO's 2026-2027 performance target is to send a first office action, either an approval or an examiner's report, within 14 months from the filing date for national applications, whether or not they use CIPO's pre-approved list of goods and services. A forecast and a performance target are not guarantees of the total time required to register a trademark.

The process can take longer when an examiner raises objections, the applicant must amend or argue the application, or another person opposes the application after publication.

What happens during trademark examination?

A CIPO trademark examiner reviews the application for compliance with the Trademarks Act and Trademarks Regulations, including whether the trademark is registrable and whether the application meets the applicable requirements.

CIPO may contact an applicant about straightforward issues that can be resolved easily. For more complex problems, CIPO sends an examiner's report. Under CIPO's current application-processing guidance, the applicant has six months to respond to an examiner's report.

If CIPO approves the application, it sends a formal notice of approval and the application proceeds toward publication.

What happens after CIPO approves the application?

After approval, CIPO publishes the application in the Trademarks Journal, which is published weekly.

Other persons have two months from the advertisement date to oppose the application. If an opposition is filed, CIPO waits until the opposition matter is resolved before continuing the application toward registration.

If no opposition prevents registration and the remaining requirements are satisfied, the application can proceed to registration.

When does the trademark become registered?

Once the applicable registration requirements are satisfied, CIPO enters the trademark in the Register of Trademarks and issues the registration.

CIPO's 2026-2027 performance target for registering a trademark after receiving a compliant electronic registration request and applicable fees is within five business days. This target concerns the final registration stage and does not represent the total application processing time.

How long does a Canadian trademark registration last?

A Canadian trademark registration lasts for 10 years from the registration date. It can be renewed for additional 10-year periods by meeting the renewal requirements and paying the applicable fees.

Registration with CIPO protects the registered trademark rights in Canada. It does not by itself register or protect the trademark in other countries.

Do you need a trademark agent?

No. You can file a Canadian trademark application directly with CIPO. A trademark agent is not mandatory.

Professional assistance may be useful where ownership, registrability, goods and services classification, examiner objections or opposition issues are complex. CIPO itself cannot prepare the application for you, conduct a clearance search on your behalf or give legal or business advice.

Can you register a certification mark?

Yes, but certification marks have special requirements under Canadian trademark law. A certification mark is used to distinguish goods or services that meet a defined standard.

Under the Trademarks Act, the owner of a certification mark must satisfy the specific statutory eligibility rules applicable to certification marks. The owner can license others to use the certification mark for goods or services that meet the defined standard.

What happens after registration?

CIPO enters the trademark in the Register of Trademarks and the registration can be renewed every 10 years. The owner remains responsible for maintaining and enforcing its trademark rights.

Trademark registration can also interact with other business setup steps. If you are starting a business and do not yet have a federal tax identifier, see how to get a CRA Business Number. If you intend to operate as a sole proprietor, the separate sole proprietorship registration procedure explains the business-registration side. Businesses choosing a federal corporation can instead review how to incorporate federally in Canada.