Trademark classes organize the goods and services covered by a trademark application. For trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), there are 45 international classes: Classes 1 through 34 cover goods, and Classes 35 through 45 cover services. A clothing brand, a software company, and a restaurant may use the same application process, but they identify their goods or services in different classes.
Trademark classes are important for determining filing fees, the description of what your application covers, and the evidence you submit to show use of your trademark. A business may need only one class or multiple.
How trademark Classes Became An International System
The trademark classes used today come from the Nice Classification, established under the Nice Agreement in 1957 and administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO. The United States previously used its own classification system, until it adopted the international classification. The current system has 45 classes and is updated regularly as products, services, and terminology change.
The Nice Classifications support international filings through the Madrid System. By consolidating and streamlining the trademark classes internationally, the two systems provide a centralized route for seeking trademark protection in participating countries and regions. Eligible U.S. applicants can use it to seek protection abroad, and eligible applicants elsewhere can designate the United States by essentially “sending” their application to the designated jurisdiction.
For more details see our article about International Trademark Applications.
Choosing The Right Trademark Class Is Important
Your application identifies particular goods or services within each class. For example, registering a mark for shirts in Class 25 does not automatically register it for everything else in Class 25. While Class 25 is a trademark class, “shirts” is an entry within that class.
Different Trademark Classes Require Different Specimens of Use
A good is a product offered under your trademark. A service is an activity provided for others under your trademark. Goods can be physical, such as cosmetics or clothing, or digital, such as downloadable software. Selling a digital product does not automatically make it a service. You will find goods in trademark classes 1-34 and services in trademark classes 35-45.
For goods, a specimen may show the mark on the product, a label, or packaging. A qualifying sales webpage may also work if it associates the mark with the goods and provides the information needed to order them.
For services, advertising can qualify if it directly associates the mark with the identified services. A website describing services actually offered under the mark may therefore work for a service application even when a similar promotional page would be insufficient for goods. For more details, see this article on specimens of use.
Trademark Classes Determine Filing Fees
The USPTO currently charges a base application filing fee of $350 per class for applications under Sections 1 and 44 that meet the applicable requirements. One class costs $350, two cost $700, and three cost $1,050 before additional fees. Multiple products in the same class do not each require a separate class fee. Shirts, pants, and hats, for example, can be included together in Class 25. With a qualified trademark attorney, applicants might see an application with fewer classes, where possible.
For more information, see our article about the trademark registration process.
Frequently Used Trademark Classes
Some trademark classes appear more often because they cover broad areas of commercial activity. WIPO’s Madrid Yearly Review 2025 reported that Class 9, which includes computer hardware and software, accounted for 10.8% of the classes specified in international applications filed in 2024. Trademark Class 42 for SaaS and PaaS services is popular in the US, as well as Class 25 for Apparel.
All 45 Trademark Classes
The summaries below describe the main subject matter of each class, with examples and distinctions where useful. They are an overview, rather than descriptions to copy directly into an application. Classification can turn on a product’s function, composition, or intended use. This guide follows the 2026 Nice Classification.
Classes 1 through 34 (goods)
Class 1 Chemicals and industrial materials
Class 1 covers chemicals used in manufacturing, science, agriculture, and related fields, including fertilizers, industrial adhesives, and unprocessed plastics and artificial resins. A chemical ingredient used to manufacture a cosmetic may belong here, while the finished cosmetic belongs in Class 3. Medical preparations generally belong in Class 5.
Class 2 Paints and colorants
Class 2 covers paints, varnishes, dyes, printing inks, and preparations that protect against rust or wood deterioration. Examples include house paint, wood stains, and food colorants. Cosmetic dyes generally belong in Class 3, while inks used for stationery purposes belong in Class 16.
Class 3 Cosmetics and cleaning preparations
Class 3 covers non-medicated cosmetics, skin care, shampoo, soap, perfume, toothpaste, and cleaning preparations. It also includes room fragrances and many laundry products. Medicated shampoos and lotions generally belong in Class 5. Cosmetic tools, such as makeup brushes, belong in Class 21 rather than Class 3.
Class 4 Fuels lubricants and candles
Class 4 covers fuels, industrial oils and greases, lubricants, and ordinary lighting candles and wicks. A scented candle generally belongs here, while a room-fragrancing preparation belongs in Class 3. Waxes used for particular purposes can fall elsewhere, such as cosmetic depilatory wax in Class 3.
Class 5 Pharmaceuticals and supplements
Class 5 covers pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, medical and veterinary preparations, disinfectants, and certain pest-control products. It also includes baby food, diapers, and medical dressings. A vitamin supplement belongs here, but an ordinary food does not become a Class 5 product simply because it is marketed as healthy.
Class 6 Metals and metal building materials
Class 6 covers common metals, metal building materials, metal hardware, safes, and metal storage or transport containers. Examples include metal pipes, screws, and prefabricated metal buildings. A finished metal product may instead be classified by function: metal furniture belongs in Class 20 and kitchen utensils generally belong in Class 21.
Class 7 Machines and power operated tools
Class 7 covers industrial machinery, power-operated tools, industrial robots, vending machines, and many motors and engines. Vacuum cleaners and 3D printers are examples. Hand-operated tools generally belong in Class 8. Motors and engines for land vehicles belong in Class 12.
Class 8 Hand tools and cutlery
Class 8 covers hand-operated tools. Examples include hammers, screwdrivers, and kitchen knives. Power-operated construction tools generally belong in Class 7, although some Class 8 products, such as electric razors, remain here despite being powered.
Class 9 Software electronics and scientific equipment
Class 9 covers downloadable and recorded software, mobile apps, computers, many electronic devices, scientific instruments, and certain safety equipment. Downloadable electronic publications and recorded digital media also fall here. Software accessed online as a service generally belongs in Class 42. The application should identify what the software does, rather than simply state “software.”
Class 10 Medical devices and eyewear
Class 10 covers medical, surgical, dental, and veterinary instruments and devices, orthopedic products, prosthetics, and certain infant-care products. Examples include medical diagnostic devices, orthopedic supports, and baby feeding bottles. The 2026 classification also places eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses here. Pharmaceuticals belong in Class 5, and providing medical treatment is a Class 44 service.
Class 11 Lighting, heating and sanitary equipment
Class 11 covers equipment for lighting, heating, cooling, cooking, ventilation, water supply, and sanitation. Examples include lamps, refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, and toilets. Not every household appliance belongs here: washing machines and vacuum cleaners generally belong in Class 7.
Class 12 Vehicles and transportation apparatus
Class 12 covers vehicles and apparatus for transporting people or goods by land, air, or water. Cars, bicycles, boats, wheelchairs, and many vehicle components belong here. Transporting passengers or goods for others is a service in Class 39, rather than a vehicle product in Class 12.
Class 13 Firearms and explosives
Class 13 covers firearms, ammunition, explosives, and fireworks. It includes products such as guns, cartridges, and pyrotechnic flares. Toy weapons generally belong in Class 28, while certain non-firearm weapons belong in Class 8.
Class 14 Jewelry and timepieces
Class 14 covers jewelry, precious metals, precious and semiprecious stones, watches, and clocks. Costume jewelry also belongs here. Smartwatches generally belong in Class 9, even though ordinary watches belong in Class 14.
Class 15 Musical instruments
Class 15 covers musical instruments and certain accessories, such as instrument stands, bows, and strings. Examples include guitars, pianos, and drums. Recorded music belongs in Class 9, printed sheet music in Class 16, and live musical performances in Class 41.
Class 16 Paper printed materials and stationery
Class 16 covers printed books, magazines, stationery, paper goods, office supplies other than furniture, and certain art materials. Printed educational materials belong here, but downloadable publications belong in Class 9. Providing education or online non-downloadable publications generally belongs in Class 41.
Class 17 Rubber Goods And Other Processed Materials
Class 17 covers insulating materials, packing and sealing materials, rubber, and certain semi-processed plastics and resins. Examples include insulation, rubber seals, and nonmetal flexible hoses. Unprocessed plastics generally belong in Class 1, while finished plastic products may be classified by their function.
Class 18 Bags luggage and leather goods
Class 18 covers handbags, backpacks, luggage, wallets, umbrellas, and certain accessories. Leather clothing generally belongs in Class 25. Cases specially adapted for particular products may belong with those products, such as smartphone cases in Class 9.
Class 19 Nonmetal building materials
Class 19 covers nonmetal construction materials, including lumber for building, concrete, bricks, building glass, and nonmetal rigid pipes. Comparable metal building materials generally belong in Class 6, while construction services belong in Class 37.
Class 20 Furniture and certain storage products
Class 20 covers furniture, mirrors, picture frames, mattresses, and certain nonmetal storage or transport containers. Desks, sofas, shelves, and beds are examples. Bed linens belong in Class 24, while household and kitchen containers generally belong in Class 21.
Class 21 Household and kitchen utensils
Class 21 covers cookware, dishes, drinking glasses, mugs, household containers, cleaning utensils, and cosmetic brushes. Toothbrushes, including electric toothbrushes, belong here. Table knives, forks, and spoons belong in Class 8.
Class 22 Ropes and raw textile fibers
Class 22 covers ropes, commercial fishing nets, tents, tarpaulins, sails, and certain padding and raw textile fibers. It includes materials used before they become finished fabrics or products. Yarn belongs in Class 23, fabric generally in Class 24, and finished clothing in Class 25.
Class 23 Yarn and thread
Class 23 covers yarn and thread for textile use, including sewing thread, embroidery thread, and knitting yarn. Finished textiles and textile household goods generally belong in Class 24.
Class 24 Fabrics and household textiles
Class 24 covers fabrics, bed linens, household linens, textile curtains, and certain other textile products. Examples include towels, sheets, and blankets. Clothing belongs in Class 25, while carpets and rugs belong in Class 27.
Class 25 Clothing footwear and headwear
Class 25 covers apparel such as shirts, dresses, pants, shoes, hats, and ordinary athletic clothing. Handbags belong in Class 18 and jewelry in Class 14. Specialized medical clothing or protective equipment may fall elsewhere. Retail clothing store services belong in Class 35, so a clothing brand and a clothing store involve distinct offerings even when they use the same name.
Class 26 Sewing Items and hair accessories
Class 26 covers buttons, zippers, lace, embroidery, sewing needles, artificial flowers, and many hair accessories. Examples include hair clips, wigs, and decorative patches. Jewelry belongs in Class 14, while sewing thread belongs in Class 23.
Class 27 Carpets and floor coverings
Class 27 covers carpets, rugs, mats, linoleum, and certain other coverings for existing floors. It also covers non-textile wall hangings and wallpaper. Structural flooring materials, such as wooden floorboards, generally belong in Class 19.
Class 28 Toys games and sporting equipment
Class 28 covers toys, board games, game apparatus, sporting equipment, and exercise apparatus. Examples include dolls, golf clubs, and fitness equipment. Downloadable game software belongs in Class 9, ordinary sports apparel in Class 25, and fitness instruction in Class 41.
Class 29 Meat dairy and preserved foods
Class 29 covers meat, fish, dairy products, edible oils, and many processed or preserved fruits and vegetables. Examples include cheese, yogurt, jams, and prepared nuts. Fresh produce generally belongs in Class 31, while bread, pasta, and many cereal-based foods belong in Class 30. Prepared meals may fall in different classes depending on their principal ingredients.
Class 30 Coffee bakery products and staple foods
Class 30 covers coffee, tea, rice, pasta, bread, pastries, confectionery, ice cream, sauces, and seasonings. Coffee-based beverages generally belong here, while beverages in which milk predominates generally belong in Class 29. Food products sold under a brand are distinct from restaurant or café services in Class 43.
Class 31 Fresh agricultural products and animal food
Class 31 covers fresh fruits and vegetables, raw agricultural products, seeds for planting, live plants and animals, and animal food. Fresh apples belong here, while preserved apples generally belong in Class 29. Dietary supplements for animals belong in Class 5 rather than the ordinary animal-food category.
Class 32 Beer and nonalcoholic beverages
Class 32 covers beer, bottled water, soft drinks, fruit juices, and many other nonalcoholic beverages. It also includes certain syrups and preparations for making nonalcoholic drinks. Beer belongs here despite containing alcohol; wine and spirits belong in Class 33. Coffee-, tea-, and milk-based beverages can fall in other classes.
Class 33 Alcoholic beverages other than beer
Class 33 covers wine, distilled spirits, alcoholic cider, and many prepared alcoholic cocktails. Beer belongs in Class 32. Providing drinks in a bar is a Class 43 service, distinct from selling a branded alcoholic beverage as a product.
Class 34 Tobacco and smoking products
Class 34 covers tobacco, tobacco substitutes other than those for medical purposes, electronic cigarettes, and certain smoking accessories. Examples include cigars, cigarette papers, and smokers’ lighters.
Classes 35 through 45 (services)
Class 35 Retail advertising and business services
Class 35 covers retail and online retail store services, advertising, marketing, business management, and many administrative services. It is relevant to stores, advertising agencies, and business consultants.
Class 36 Financial insurance and real estate services
Class 36 covers banking, lending, insurance, investment services, payment processing, and real estate services. Examples include mortgage lending, financial planning, and real estate brokerage. Software used to provide a financial service may also involve Class 9 or Class 42.
Class 37 Construction installation and repair
Class 37 covers building construction, repair, installation, and many cleaning and maintenance services. Examples include plumbing, vehicle repair, house painting, and building cleaning. Architectural design belongs in Class 42.
Class 38 Telecommunications
Class 38 covers telecommunications and transmission services, such as telephone communications, internet access, and transmission of audio or video. It can also cover providing online forums. This class concerns communication infrastructure or transmission.
Class 39 Transportation storage and travel arrangements
Class 39 covers transporting people or goods, delivery, warehousing, packaging for transport, and certain travel arrangements. Examples include courier services, moving services, and passenger transportation.
Class 40 Manufacturing and material treatment
Class 40 covers custom manufacturing for others, printing, recycling, and services that transform or treat materials.
Class 41 Education entertainment and fitness instruction
Class 41 covers education, training, entertainment, sports activities, and many publishing services. Examples include courses, coaching as training, personal fitness instruction, live performances, and online non-downloadable publications.
Class 42 SaaS technology design and scientific services
Class 42 covers scientific and technological services, software development, SaaS, website hosting, architecture, and many design services. A business providing access to non-downloadable software generally identifies the software service here and specifies its function. Downloadable software belongs in Class 9. The underlying service performed through software may belong elsewhere, such as financial services in Class 36.
Class 43 Restaurants hospitality and temporary lodging
Class 43 covers restaurants, cafés, bars, catering, hotels, and other temporary accommodation services. It also covers certain services such as day nurseries.
Class 44 Medical beauty and agricultural services
Class 44 covers medical and veterinary care, dentistry, mental health services, beauty salons, and certain agricultural and gardening services. Examples include psychotherapy, hair styling, and landscape gardening.
Class 45 Legal security and certain personal services
Class 45 covers legal services, physical security services, and certain personal and social services. Examples include law firms, security guard services, dating services, and online social networking services. Computer cybersecurity services generally belong in Class 42. Classification follows the nature of the service rather than the fact that it is provided online.
How to choose trademark classes for your application
Start with the goods or services you actually provide under the mark, or genuinely intend to provide. Describe the offering before choosing the number. A business called a “technology company” may provide downloadable software, SaaS, telecommunications, financial services, or several of these. The industry label alone does not answer the classification question.
The USPTO’s Trademark ID Manual lets you search specific goods and services and review their assigned classes. The descriptions should accurately reflect your offering, including details such as software function, product composition, or the type of consulting provided. A familiar term in the correct class is useful only if it describes what your business does.
For a business with several offerings, assess each use of the mark separately. A bakery may use its name for packaged baked goods, a retail store, and a café. Those activities can involve Classes 30, 35, and 43. Whether all three belong in an application depends on the actual or intended use of the mark for each offering. The goal is an accurate description of the business and an application organized around that description.
Questions About Trademark Classes for Your Trademark?
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Stemer Law (Stemer, P.A.) is a Denver trademark law firm serving clients across the U.S. and abroad. With 1,000+ trademarks filed, we make brand protection simple, affordable, and effective. To speak with a trademark attorney contact us at hello@stemerlaw.com or (303) 928-1094.
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