How to read USPTO TSDR: check a trademark application by serial number
TSDR (Trademark Status & Document Retrieval, tsdr.uspto.gov) is the USPTO’s free record viewer. Every filing in our weekly report links to it. Here is what to look at once the page opens. No login is needed; a one-time human check may appear.
1. Enter the number
- Serial number: 8 digits. The first two are a series code (recent filings start with 97, 98 or 99), the last six are the sequence. Paste the number from the report as is.
- Registration number: 7 digits, registered marks only.
- Enter the number and press Status for the status view, Documents for the file list, and for registrations Maintenance for renewal deadlines.
- Report links use the form
tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=SERIAL&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch, which opens the status view directly.
2. Status tab, top to bottom
| Field | Meaning and what a seller should look for |
|---|---|
| Mark / Mark Literal Elements | The word part of the mark. Design marks also show an image and a Description of Mark. Standard-character marks protect the words regardless of font. |
| Status / Status Date | Current stage and the date it was reached. See the table below. Published for opposition date + 30 days = opposition deadline. |
| Filing Date | The US is a use-based system, but the filing date still carries great weight for priority. Compare it with your own filing and first-use dates. |
| Goods and Services (International Class) | Listed goods and class (e.g. 003 cosmetics, 025 clothing, 030 foods). Same class with unrelated goods may mean low confusion risk; different classes with related goods can still be a problem. |
| Basis (1(a) / 1(b) / 44 / 66(a)) | 1(a) already in use in the US · 1(b) intent to use · 44 based on a foreign application or registration · 66(a) Madrid Protocol. 1(b) applicants often are not selling yet. |
| Current Owner / Owner Address | Applicant name, address, country and entity type. To see the same owner’s other marks, use USPTO Trademark Search (tmsearch.uspto.gov) by owner name. |
| Attorney of Record / Correspondent | The representative. Foreign-domiciled applicants must have a US attorney. Negotiation contact usually goes here. |
| Prosecution History | Dated event log, newest first. Refusals, responses, publication and registration all appear here, including the publication date. |
3. Common status phrases
| Status (abridged) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| New application, not yet assigned to an examining attorney | Received only. Months until an examiner is assigned. Most filings in our weekly report are here. |
| Non-final action mailed | The examiner sent a refusal or a request to amend (Office Action). Likelihood of confusion with an earlier mark can be the reason. |
| Response received / Response after non-final action | The applicant answered. The response is in the Documents tab. |
| Approved for publication | Passed examination. Appears in the Official Gazette a few weeks later. |
| Published for opposition | Published. The 30-day opposition period runs from this date. |
| Notice of allowance issued | An intent-to-use (1(b)) application cleared publication. It registers once a Statement of Use is accepted. |
| Registered | Registration issued. From here only a cancellation proceeding can challenge it. |
| Abandoned | Dropped or finally refused. The applicant may still petition to revive. |
Exact wording on the live page varies slightly. The full flow and what you can do at each stage is in the opposition period guide.
4. Documents tab: the most useful part for sellers
- Specimen: the real listing or packaging photo attached to a 1(a) application or Statement of Use. It shows what the applicant actually sells and where.
- Application: the original goods wording, applicant details and declaration.
- Offc Action Outgoing / Response to Office Action: the examiner’s refusal grounds and the applicant’s arguments. You can see whether your mark was already cited under 2(d) likelihood of confusion.
- Letter of protest entries: if someone’s letter of protest was accepted, the record shows it here.
5. Maintenance tab (registered marks)
Look up a registration number to see the next required filing and its deadline. US registrations need a declaration of use (§8) between years 5 and 6 and a renewal (§9) every 10 years. Check your own marks at least once a year.
6. Related USPTO tools
- Trademark Search: search by name, owner or class. TSDR only takes numbers.
- Trademark Official Gazette: the weekly (Tuesday) publication list. Publication dates come from here.
- TTABVUE: opposition and cancellation case records.
Get the serial numbers before you have to look for them
We compare every new USPTO filing with your mark daily and email the close ones each Monday with serial number, applicant, class and TSDR link. One mark free for 4 weeks.
Start free trial Sample reportSummary of public information, not legal advice. USPTO screens and terms change (checked 2026-10-17).