Trademark Search by Class: How to Search the Register for Your Goods or Services
Short answer
A trademark search by class narrows the register to the goods or services you actually sell, which is the only view in which a match means anything. Search the name, then read each live result's class: a match in your class or a coordinated one is a conflict, a match elsewhere usually is not. On the USPTO's Trademark Search, add the class as a field filter; on Silvol, every result shows its class and the class's live count. With 4,796,936 live marks across 45 classes, and 587,885 in class 9 alone, an unfiltered search overstates the conflicts by a wide margin.
Searching a name without its class is like searching a surname without a first name. The register holds 4,796,936 live marks, and the same word is registered many times over by unrelated businesses in unrelated classes. A search that returns all of them tells you the word is popular; it does not tell you whether you can use it.
The class is the unit of conflict. A trademark protects a name for particular goods or services, and an examiner refuses an application when a live mark in the same or a related class is confusingly similar. A live mark in an unrelated class is, with rare exceptions for famous marks, not an obstacle. So the question is never "is this name on the register" but "is this name on the register in my class". See trademark classes for what each class covers.
Two ways to search by class
| Tool | How the class comes in | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Silvol check | Every result shows its class and class name; the class pages show the live count | Live marks only, plus the .com; free, no account |
| USPTO Trademark Search (tmsearch.uspto.gov) | Add a field filter for International Class, or write it into the query as IC:009 | The full database, live and dead, with images and documents |
Search first, filter second. Run the name unfiltered, see which classes the results fall in, then look closely at your own class and its coordinated classes. Filtering to your class before searching hides the near matches in coordinated classes, which are the ones that block applications.
On the USPTO's system, the class filter uses the three-digit form: 009 for class 9, 035 for class 35. On Silvol and on most pages, plain numbers.
How to read a class-specific result
| What the search shows | In your class | In a coordinated class | In an unrelated class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact match, live | Taken. A new application would be refused | Very likely taken | Usually usable |
| One letter off, live | Usually too close | Worth reading the goods description | Almost never a problem |
| Same sound, different spelling, live | Usually too close | Worth reading | Almost never a problem |
| Several near matches, different owners | A crowded field; the name will register narrowly if at all | ||
| Exact match, dead | Not a conflict, though worth noting who used it and when |
Read the goods description, not just the class number. Class 9 covers downloadable software and also sunglasses and fire extinguishers. Two class 9 marks can be as unrelated as marks in different classes. The register records what each mark covers; that description is the real test.
Coordinated classes are where surprises come from. The USPTO searches a class together with a set of related classes because confusion crosses the line between them. A software company's class 9 application is examined against class 42, 35, 38, 41, and others. The coordinated set for each class is on its page; class 9's is on class 9. See is my name trademarked for how to weigh a near match.
The live count changes how a result reads
A near match in a class with 587,000 live marks is expected. A near match in a class with 18,000 is worth a second look, because names of that shape are rarer there and the neighbour is more likely to be in your actual field.
| Class | Live marks | What a near match usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 587,885 | Normal; check the goods |
| 35 | 387,262 | Normal; check the services |
| 25 | 347,642 | Normal; apparel names cluster heavily |
| 42 | 178,490 | Normal for coined tech names |
| 23 | 18,646 | Rare; probably a real neighbour |
| 13 | 18,820 | Rare; probably a real neighbour |
Counts as of September 14, 2026, refreshed daily from USPTO bulk data. The full list of 45 has every class.
The count is also a budget signal. Every class is $350 to file and $650 per decade to maintain, and a crowded class means more near matches to argue around. See what a trademark costs.
Searching by class for a multi-class business
Most businesses need two classes, and the search has to be run for each. A coffee roaster with a café searches its name in 30 for the beans and 43 for the café, and the coordinated classes of both. A clear result in one says nothing about the other.
When the classes disagree, the name may still be usable for part of the business. A clear class 30 and a conflict in 43 means the beans can carry the name and the café probably cannot; some businesses proceed with a different trade name for the service side. See what class am I in for which classes a business type usually needs.
The search in ten minutes
- Decide your classes using the class list or the USPTO ID Manual. Usually one or two.
- Search the exact name unfiltered on Silvol or the USPTO. Note the class of every live result.
- Search the variants: plurals, alternate spellings, phonetic equivalents, and the meaning if the name is a real word in any language.
- Filter to your class and its coordinated classes. Read each live result's goods description.
- Count the near matches in your class from different owners. One is a coincidence; several is a crowded field.
- Check the live count for the class to calibrate what "near match" means there.
- Repeat for each class the business needs.
Common questions
How do I search a trademark by class?
Search the name, then read the class of each live result. On the USPTO's Trademark Search, add an International Class filter (three-digit form, e.g. 009); on Silvol, every result shows its class. Focus on your class and its coordinated classes.
What is a trademark class lookup?
Finding which class covers your goods or services. The USPTO ID Manual is the authority; the 45 class pages on this site summarise each class with its live count and the classes it is commonly confused with.
Can I search the USPTO by class number?
Yes. In Trademark Search, use the International Class field filter or type IC:009 (for class 9) into the query alongside the mark text. Classes use the three-digit form there.
Does a trademark search by class find everything?
No. It finds federal marks in that class. It does not find state registrations, unregistered (common law) use, or marks in coordinated classes unless you search those too. See common law trademark rights.
What if my name is taken in a different class?
Usually the name is still usable for your goods or services, unless the existing mark is famous or the classes are coordinated. Read the goods description of the existing mark; if it is unrelated to yours, coexistence is the normal outcome.
How many trademarks are in each class?
From 18,646 in class 23 (yarns and threads) to 587,885 in class 9 (electronics and software). The full table with today's counts is on the class list.
Is the class filter on Silvol's check?
Every result on the check shows its class and class name, and each class links to its page with the live count and coordinated classes. The filter is applied by reading, which is the step that matters.
What are coordinated classes?
Classes the USPTO examines together because confusion between them is common, such as 9 and 42 for software. A conflict in a coordinated class can block an application in your class.
Should I search all 45 classes?
Search unfiltered first so you see everything, then concentrate on your class and its coordinated classes. A conflict in an unrelated, uncoordinated class is rarely an obstacle.
How do I know which class a competitor's mark is in?
The register shows it. On the USPTO's system each record lists its international class and goods description; on Silvol each result shows its class.
Keep reading
- Trademark classes: all 45, with live counts
- Is my name trademarked? How to read a match
- What class am I in? By business type
- How much does a trademark cost, per class
Silvol checks a name against live US federal trademarks and the .com zone. It is not a law firm, does not clear names for use, and does not cover state registrations or unregistered marks. Class counts are computed from USPTO bulk data by primary class and refreshed daily.
Register counts as of September 14, 2026. Silvol is not a law firm and does not clear names for use.