How to check your status
Go to the IP India portal and open the trademark application status page. You need your application number, which appears on the filing receipt. Enter it, complete the captcha, and the current status appears along with the documents issued so far.
Do this yourself rather than waiting to be told. The registry does send emails, but they are frequently filtered as spam, and several of the deadlines below start running from the date the document was issued — not from the date you read about it.
Statuses that need nothing from you
These mean the application is moving. No reply is due.
New Application
Filed and logged. The registry has your Form TM-A and fee, and nothing has been examined yet.
Send to Vienna Codification
Your mark contains a logo or device, so the registry is assigning Vienna codes to its visual elements. This is administrative classification, not assessment. Text-only marks skip this stage.
Formalities Chk Pass
The paperwork is in order — power of attorney where needed, translation or transliteration if the mark is not in English, and the user affidavit if prior use is claimed. Nothing has been said yet about whether the mark itself is registrable.
Marked for Exam
An examiner has been assigned and is assessing the mark on its merits — whether it is distinctive enough under Section 9, and whether it conflicts with an earlier mark under Section 11. This is where the substantive decision is made.
Accepted
The examiner raised no objection, or accepted your reply. The mark is cleared for publication in the Trade Marks Journal.
Accepted & Advertised
Published in the journal. A four-month window now runs in which anyone may oppose. If nobody does, registration follows. You may keep using ™, but not ® — that has to wait for the certificate.
Statuses that need action, with deadlines
These are the ones to watch. Each has a clock, and missing it usually ends the application.
Formalities Chk Fail
Something in the paperwork is missing or wrong — commonly an unsigned power of attorney, a missing translation, or a document that uploaded blurred. The mark itself is not the problem. Fix what the notice lists and refile; the status then moves to Formalities Chk Pass.
Reply within 30 days of the noticeObjected / Exam Report Issued
The examiner has raised an objection. Most fall under Section 9 (the mark is descriptive or not distinctive) or Section 11 (it is similar to an earlier mark). This is not a refusal — a large share of applications reach this stage and go on to register. You file a written reply arguing why the objection does not apply, with evidence of use if you have it.
Reply within 30 days of the reportReady for Show Cause Hearing
Your written reply did not satisfy the examiner, so you are being given a hearing rather than an outright refusal. These are usually held by video conference. Attend or send your agent — failing to appear is treated as abandoning the application.
Attend on the date fixedOpposed
A third party has filed a notice of opposition during the four-month journal window, usually a business claiming your mark is too close to theirs. This turns the filing into a contested proceeding with pleadings, evidence and a hearing. It is the most expensive scenario, and the one where professional help matters most.
Counter-statement within 2 monthsNot sure what your status means?
Send us your application number. We will tell you what stage it is at, whether anything is due from you, and by when — free of charge.
Statuses that mean it has ended
Abandoned
A deadline passed without a reply — to a formalities notice, an examination report, or a hearing notice. This is the most common way applications die, and it is almost always avoidable. The government fee is not refunded, and starting again means paying it afresh.
Refused
The registrar considered your case and rejected the mark, usually after a hearing. An appeal is possible, but on the merits this is a decision against you rather than a missed step.
Withdrawn
You (or your agent) asked to discontinue the application. Sometimes a deliberate choice when an opposition looks unwinnable and it is cheaper to rebrand.
After registration
Registration is not the last status you will see.
A registration lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely. As the date approaches, the entry may show a renewal-due status. Renew on time and it stays live; let it lapse and it can be removed from the register, after which restoration costs considerably more.
Our guide to trademark costs sets out the renewal fee, the grace-period surcharge and the restoration fee.
When the status will not update
Long gaps are normal. Applications can sit at "Marked for Exam" for months, and registry backlogs are real. A few practical points:
- Nothing has changed for six months. Usually a queue, not a problem. Keep checking.
- Nothing has changed for over 18 months. Worth raising a query with the registry through the grievance channel.
- "No records found". Almost always a mistyped application number. Check it against your filing receipt before assuming something has gone wrong.
- The portal is down. Common enough. Try later rather than concluding your application has vanished.
If you are still at the stage of checking whether your brand is free, start with our guide to running a free trademark search on IP India.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to reply to a trademark objection?
One month from when the examination report is served on your address on record, under Rule 33(4) of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017. There is no extension as of right. Miss it and the Registrar may treat the application as abandoned.
What does "Formalities Chk Pass" mean in a trademark application?
It means the paperwork filed with your application is complete and correct — power of attorney, translation, user affidavit where applicable. It says nothing about whether the mark itself will be accepted; that is decided later, at examination.
Is "Objected" the same as rejected?
No. An objection is the examiner raising a concern, usually under Section 9 or Section 11, and inviting you to answer it. Many objected applications go on to register after a reply. A refusal only comes later, if the reply and any hearing do not satisfy the registrar.
What is the difference between Objected and Opposed?
Objected comes from the trademark examiner inside the registry. Opposed comes from an outside party who saw your mark published in the journal and filed a formal opposition. Opposition is a contested proceeding and is considerably more involved than replying to an objection.
My trademark status says Abandoned. Can it be revived?
Sometimes, if you can show the failure to reply was not deliberate and you act quickly, but it is not automatic and depends on the circumstances. Assume it cannot be, treat the deadline as final, and take advice immediately rather than after weeks have passed.
How long does an application stay at "Marked for Exam"?
Commonly one to three months, though registry backlogs can extend it further. There is nothing to do at this stage but wait and keep checking.
Can I use the ® symbol once my status shows Accepted and Advertised?
No. ® may only be used once the mark is actually registered and the certificate issued. Until then use ™, which you may use from the moment you file. Using ® prematurely is a misrepresentation.
How often should I check my trademark status?
Every two to three weeks while the application is pending. The deadlines that matter run from the date the registry issues a document, not from the date you see it, and registry emails often land in spam.