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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Honduras

In Honduras, a local agent files directly with DIGEPIH's Industrial Property Registry: the country is not in the Madrid System. Applications are published three times, 10 days apart, in the gazette La Gaceta, with oppositions until 30 working days after the last notice; registration costs 700 lempiras per class, plus a statutory annual maintenance fee.

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Five questions first

Which route?Honduras is not in the Madrid System, so an agent domiciled in Honduras files directly with DIGEPIH. If your first application abroad is less than 6 months old, you can claim Paris Convention priority.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark with a written description (Spanish translation of any foreign words), the goods and services with Nice classes, and a power of attorney; if claiming priority, a certified copy of the earlier application within 3 months.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Statutory fees are per class: registration 700 lempiras per class, renewal 350 per mark, plus an annual maintenance fee of 100; gazette publication follows the agent's instructions. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: 30 working days to fix formal defects, 60 working days to answer grounds for refusal, then three publications and a further 30 working days for oppositions after the last one. No official average time is published.Details ↓What are the main risks?Three publications are required and periods run in working days; the law sets an annual maintenance fee and makes renewal conditional on it; 3 years of non-use allow cancellation; a local earlier user can block registration.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Honduras: key facts

OfficeDirectorate General of Intellectual Property of Honduras (Dirección General de Propiedad Intelectual, DIGEPIH), part of the Property Institute (Instituto de la Propiedad, IP); trademarks are handled by its Industrial Property Registry. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawIndustrial Property Law (Decree 12-99-E, published in the official gazette in 2000 and in force 20 days after publication; amended by Decree 16-2006 of 2006, implementing the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement, and by Decree 219-2012 of 2013); official fees are set directly in Article 174 of the law
How rights ariseBy registration, first to file; where two or more applicants file at the same time for the same mark and the same goods, it is granted to whoever has used it earliest and continuously in Honduras; no evidence of use is needed at filing
Madrid SystemNot a member of the Madrid Protocol (WIPO list of members, checked on 11 October 2026): Honduras cannot be designated in an international registration
RepresentationAll applications must be filed through a legal representative (apoderado legal); applicants domiciled or established abroad must act through an agent domiciled in Honduras
ClassesNice Classification; the application lists the goods and services with their international class numbers, and fees are charged per class; whether one application can cover several classes is not spelt out in the law, so follow the Registry's and your agent's instructions; goods and services are listed by their generic names, grouped by Nice class; to add goods or services to a registered mark, a new registration must be applied for
Responses (statutory)Formal defects: 30 working days to correct, failing which the application is deemed abandoned and filed away; grounds for refusal: 60 working days to withdraw, amend or limit the application or to reply; at any stage, an application lapses if nothing is done for 6 months from the last notification
Publication and opposition (statutory)Once examination is passed, the application is published three times, 10 days apart, in the official gazette La Gaceta; any interested party can oppose during the publication period and until 30 working days after the last publication
Term and renewal10 years from the date of grant, renewable indefinitely for 10-year periods; apply within the year before expiry, or in the 6-month grace period after it with a surcharge; by law, renewal is conditional on the annual maintenance fees having been paid
Annual maintenance feeArticle 174 of the Industrial Property Law sets an annual maintenance fee of 100 lempiras per registered mark, with a surcharge of 50 lempiras; in non-use cancellation proceedings, a mark whose annual rehabilitation fee has been paid is not cancelled; ask your agent how the fee is collected in practice
Non-use cancellationWhere a mark has not been used in Honduras for the 3 consecutive years before the action, any interested party can ask the Registry to cancel it, unless there is a justified reason; the owner must prove use, and where only some goods are unused, only those are removed
PriorityParis Convention priority of 6 months (the Convention has applied to Honduras since 4 February 1994); declare it at filing or within 30 working days after it, and within 3 months of filing submit a copy of the earlier application certified by the office that received it, with proof of its filing date
Invalidity time limitInvalidity based on an earlier right must be sought within 5 years of registration or within 3 years from the start of use of the mark, whichever ends later; bad-faith registrations and absolute grounds have no time limit

Checked on 2026-10-11; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

Honduras is not part of the Madrid System, so it cannot be designated in an international registration: an agent domiciled in Honduras files directly with the Industrial Property Registry of DIGEPIH. The real choice is whether to claim priority from an earlier application filed abroad.

ItemDirect filing without priorityDirect filing claiming priority
PrerequisiteNone; use this if you have no earlier application, or if it was filed more than 6 months agoFiled in Honduras within 6 months of your first application abroad, for a mark and goods or services corresponding to that application
Order of priorityThe date of filing with the Registry; where the same mark is filed on the same day, whoever has used it earliest and continuously in Honduras prevailsThe filing date of your first application becomes the priority date; applications or use by others during the priority period cannot be asserted against you
Extra stepsNoneAt filing or within 30 working days after it, state the office, filing date and number of the earlier application; within 3 months of filing, submit a copy of the earlier application (with the mark and the list of goods and services) certified by the office of first filing, with proof of the filing date
Official feesRegistration fee 700 lempiras per class; the three gazette publications are arranged and paid for as your agent instructsSame as direct filing; Article 174 lists no separate priority fee
RiskAnyone who files or starts using the mark in the gap between your home application and your Honduran filing can block youThe declaration and the supporting documents have statutory deadlines; plan them together with the filing
Best forYou have not filed elsewhere yet, or your first application is more than 6 months oldYour first application was filed less than 6 months ago, especially if you are worried about pre-emptive filings in Honduras

If you are filing across Central America, compare Trademark registration in Guatemala and Trademark registration in Costa Rica: none of the three countries can be designated through Madrid, so you file directly in each; Trademark registration in Mexico, by contrast, can be obtained through a Madrid designation. On the choice between the two routes, see Madrid Designation or Direct National Filing: Which One Fits Your Case.

Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit an order online; the agent will advise you based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For an application through a Honduran agent, foreign companies and individuals generally prepare the following information and documents. No evidence of use is needed at filing.

Applicant

  • Name and address; for a company, the country of incorporation, with the name written exactly as in the power of attorney
  • Agent details: the application must name the applicant and the appointed agent; applicants from abroad always act through an agent domiciled in Honduras, to whom notices are sent
  • For joint applicants, amendments, limitations and withdrawals must be made jointly, so agree on a representative in advance

The mark

  • Representation of the mark: the law requires copies of the mark with the application (20 on paper); provide the number and format your agent asks for
  • Description of the mark: state clearly its main distinctive elements; any foreign-language words in the mark need a Spanish translation
  • A mark containing another person's name, signature, title, nickname or portrait needs that person's consent, or the closest relatives' consent if the person has died
  • A mark can consist of words, figures, letters, numerals, labels, colour combinations and the shape of goods or their packaging; a single colour and the usual shape of the goods cannot be registered

Goods and services

  • The full list of goods and services with their international class numbers; use generic names, grouped by Nice class
  • Fees are charged per class; whether one application can cover several classes is not spelt out in the law, so follow the Registry's and your agent's instructions; goods or services can only be added to a registered mark by a new application, so settle the classes and goods in one go
  • Whether goods within the same class or in different classes are similar is judged by the examiner on the goods themselves, not on the class number

Power of attorney and priority

  • Power of attorney (documento de mandato): the law requires it with the application; Honduras is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so if legalisation is required, a power of attorney issued in another contracting state only needs to be notarised and apostilled, with no consular legalisation; follow your agent's instructions on format and legalisation
  • To claim priority: at filing or within 30 working days after it, state the office, filing date and number of the earlier application, and within 3 months of filing submit the certified copy and proof of the filing date

Provide the power of attorney and other signed documents as your agent instructs. A mark containing the emblems, flags or official signs of a State or an international organisation needs the authorisation of the body concerned.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no grounds for refusal and no opposition. Periods marked "statutory" are set by law; every period that the law expresses in days is counted in working days.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar earlier marks, find out whether anyone is already using the same mark in Honduras, and prepare the application by class

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    The Honduran agent files the application, the representation and description of the mark, the list of goods and services and the power of attorney with the Industrial Property Registry of DIGEPIH, and pays the statutory stamp duty

  3. Step 3

    Formal examination

    If documents are missing, the Registry issues a notice; defects must be corrected within 30 working days, failing which the application is deemed abandoned and filed away (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Substantive examination

    The Registry examines absolute grounds, earlier registrations and applications and well-known signs; where there are grounds for refusal, you have 60 working days from notification to withdraw, amend or limit the application or to reply (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Publication

    Once examination is passed, the Registry orders publication: three notices, 10 days apart, in the official gazette La Gaceta, showing the mark, the filing date, the applicant, the goods and services and the class (statutory); the publications are arranged and paid for as your agent instructs

  6. Step 6

    Opposition period

    Any interested party can oppose during the publication period and until 30 working days after the last publication (statutory); an opponent relying on earlier use must already have applied to register its own mark

  7. Step 7

    Grant and certificate

    With no opposition, the Registry grants and records the registration; once the per-class registration fee is paid, the certificate is issued, and the registration runs for 10 years from the date of grant

DIGEPIH publishes no verifiable average examination time, so this page lists only statutory periods. At any stage, an application lapses and is filed away if nothing is done for 6 months from the last notification; delays caused by the Registry's inaction or by force majeure do not count. The official gazette is published by the National Graphic Arts Company (ENAG); publication arrangements and costs follow your agent's instructions and are not part of the Registry's fees.

How to read the periods: "statutory" = set by law; "official statistics" = averages published by the office; "estimate" = typical cases. Actual timing varies.

How much

Official fees

Official fees are in Honduran lempiras (HNL) and are set directly in Article 174 of the Industrial Property Law; they are paid to the Treasury on a payment slip issued by the Registry, and the registration fee is charged per class. Beyond the official fees, an application that passes examination must be published three times in the official gazette; publication is arranged and paid for as your agent instructs, and the National Graphic Arts Company that publishes the gazette has not published a price list. After registration, the law also requires an annual maintenance fee; ask your agent how it is collected in practice. The table below shows the rates currently set by the law.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Trademark registration fee (per class)Per class700 HNL≈ USD 26
Keeping the registration
Annual maintenance fee (per registration, per year)Per year100 HNL≈ USD 4
Renewal fee (per registration)Per application350 HNL≈ USD 13
Surcharge (late renewal in grace period or late maintenance fee, per registration)Per application50 HNL≈ USD 2
Other
Recordal of assignment (per mark, per class)Per class500 HNL≈ USD 19
Recordal of limitation of goods/services, change of address or owner name (per item)Per item300 HNL≈ USD 11
Recordal of licence (per licence)Per item500 HNL≈ USD 19
Voluntary cancellation (per registration)Per application200 HNL≈ USD 7
Replacement or duplicate certificate, or registry certification (per document)Per item350 HNL≈ USD 13
Registry prior-rights search (per search)Per item100 HNL≈ USD 4

Source: www.wipo.int · current fees in force since 2000-03-20 · checked on 2026-10-11 · USD figures are approximate, converted at the Bank of China spot selling rate (or, for currencies it does not quote, at the central bank's published USD rate); the official fee is the amount in the original currency

Official fees are as published by the office; the service fee is quoted by an agent after you submit, and you pay only after accepting the quote.

Example: a mark registered in 1 class costs a registration fee of 700 lempiras; thereafter the annual maintenance fee is 100 lempiras, or 1,000 lempiras over 10 years; the three gazette publications are arranged and paid for as your agent instructs. Registration in 3 classes costs 3 × 700 = 2,100 lempiras.

Renewal costs 350 lempiras per mark; renewing in the 6-month grace period after expiry adds a surcharge of 50 lempiras. Recording an assignment costs 500 lempiras per class; limiting the list of goods or services, or recording a change of address or of the owner's name, 300; recording a licence 500; voluntary cancellation 200; a replacement certificate, copy or registry certificate 350; a prior search by the Registry 100.

The schedule has not been amended since the law came into force in 2000, although the law allows the executive to ask Congress every two years to adjust it in line with consumer prices; the Registry's current payment slips could not be checked, so the amount notified by the Registry at the time of payment prevails. Service fees, including the Honduran agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Honduras and common refusals

These are the most common issues in Honduran examination, along with Honduran rules that are easy to overlook.

Three publications are required, and the opposition period runs in working days

Once examination is passed, the Registry orders three notices in the official gazette La Gaceta, 10 days apart; the publications are arranged and paid for as your agent instructs. An opposition can be filed throughout the publication period and until 30 working days after the last notice; every period that the law expresses in days is counted in working days, so the calendar time is longer than it looks. Once the publication order arrives, arrange the notices promptly as your agent instructs, keep the dates of the three publications, and remember that an application lapses if nothing is done for 6 months from the last notification.

The law sets an annual maintenance fee, and renewal depends on paying it

Article 174 of the Industrial Property Law sets an annual maintenance fee of 100 lempiras per registered mark, Article 93 makes renewal conditional on those annual fees having been paid, and Article 106 lists payment of the "annual rehabilitation fee" as a defence against non-use cancellation. Honduras is the only Central American country with this rule, and discovering unpaid fees at renewal time slows the procedure down. Ask your agent how the fee is collected in practice, pay it year by year and keep the receipts.

An earlier user in Honduras can block you

Honduras grants registration in order of filing, but where two applicants file for the same mark on the same day, it goes to whoever has used it earliest and continuously in Honduras; and a mark that someone else, though unregistered, already uses in Honduras and so holds a better right to is a ground for refusal. An opponent relying on earlier use must already have applied to register its own mark, and the Registry then deals with both applications together. If you plan to enter the Honduran market, file before you start selling or appoint distributors.

Short statutory deadlines; 6 months of inaction and the application lapses

Formal defects must be corrected within 30 working days and grounds for refusal answered within 60 working days, failing which the application is deemed abandoned and filed away; at any stage, an application lapses if nothing is done for 6 months from the last notification. When appointing your agent, confirm that the address for notices is correct and agree how quickly notices will be passed on to you.

Fees per class, no Madrid route, and extra goods need a new application

Honduras is not in the Madrid System, so a WIPO international registration cannot extend to Honduras: an agent domiciled there must file a separate application. The application lists the goods and services with their international class numbers and fees are charged per class; whether one application can cover several classes is not spelt out in the law, so follow the Registry's and your agent's instructions. To add goods or services after registration, the law requires a new registration that goes through the whole procedure again. Settling the classes and the scope of goods before filing saves a second round of publications and fees.

Similarity, distinctiveness and product labelling obligations

A mark that is visually, verbally or phonetically similar to an earlier registration or application, for the same goods or services or ones likely to be associated with them, will be refused, as will signs that directly describe the goods, generic names, a single colour and the usual shape of the goods; a mark similar to someone else's mark that expired or was cancelled less than 1 year ago cannot be registered either. In addition, the law requires all products sold in Honduras to state the country of manufacture, the manufacturer's name and, where the manufacturer and the trademark owner are different, the relationship between them, so prepare your export labels accordingly.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Honduran registration lasts 10 years from the date of grant; the law requires an annual maintenance fee, 3 consecutive years of non-use allow cancellation, and the mark must be renewed before expiry.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Every yearPay the statutory annual maintenance fee and keep the receipts; renewal is conditional on these fees having been paid; ask your agent how the fee is collected in practice100 lempiras per mark
Throughout the registrationUse the mark in Honduras and keep written evidence such as sales and advertising; 3 consecutive years of non-use allow cancellation, limited to the goods not used; use by a licensee counts as use by the owner—
Within the year before expiry, every 10 yearsRenew; the mark cannot be changed and no goods or services can be added, but the list can be limited350 lempiras per mark
Within 6 months after expiryYou can still renew in the grace period, during which the registration remains in force350 lempiras per mark + 50 lempiras surcharge
At any timeAssignments must be in writing and bind third parties only once recorded; changes of address or name must be recorded; licences can be recorded, but recording is not a condition of validityAssignment 500 per class, change 300, licence 500 lempiras

Use of the mark in a form that differs from the registered version only in details that do not alter its distinctive character does not affect the registration. Label your products as Honduran law requires, with the country of manufacture, the manufacturer and its relationship to the trademark owner. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Honduras

How much does a trademark cost in Honduras?

Statutory fees are charged per class: the registration fee is 700 lempiras per class, and once examination is passed, the application must be published three times in the official gazette La Gaceta, with publication arranged and paid for as your agent instructs. After registration, the law requires an annual maintenance fee of 100 lempiras, and renewal every 10 years costs 350 lempiras. Service fees, including the Honduran agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.

How long does trademark registration take in Honduras?

DIGEPIH publishes no verifiable average examination time. The statutory milestones are: formal defects must be corrected within 30 working days; grounds for refusal must be answered within 60 working days; once examination is passed, the application is published three times in the official gazette, 10 days apart; the opposition period ends 30 working days after the last publication, and with no opposition the mark is registered. An opposition makes the procedure considerably longer.

Can I register a trademark in Honduras through the Madrid System?

No. Honduras is not a member of the Madrid Protocol (WIPO list of members as at 11 October 2026), so an international registration cannot designate it; an agent domiciled in Honduras must file a separate application with DIGEPIH. If your first application abroad was filed less than 6 months ago, you can claim Paris Convention priority when filing in Honduras.

Does the power of attorney for Honduras need to be notarised or legalised?

The Industrial Property Law only requires a power of attorney to be filed with the application and does not specify how it must be authenticated. Honduras has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 September 2004, so if the Registry requires legalisation, a power of attorney issued in another contracting state only needs to be notarised and apostilled, with no consular legalisation. Follow your agent's instructions on format.

How long does a Honduran trademark last? Is there an annual fee?

10 years from the date of grant, renewable indefinitely for 10-year periods; apply for renewal within the year before expiry, with a further 6-month grace period after expiry subject to a surcharge of 50 lempiras. Unlike most countries, the Honduran Industrial Property Law sets an annual maintenance fee of 100 lempiras per registered mark and makes renewal conditional on paying it; ask your agent how the fee is collected in practice and pay it year by year.

Which office registers trademarks in Honduras, and how can I search?

The competent authority is the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DIGEPIH), part of the Property Institute (Instituto de la Propiedad), and applications are received and recorded by its Industrial Property Registry. By law the register is public: anyone can consult it free of charge and obtain registry certificates for a fee, and a prior search by the Registry costs 100 lempiras. To gauge the risk of similarity before filing, use the free search on this page.

Other IP rights

Patents: Honduran invention patents last 20 years from the filing date and cannot be extended; annual fees are paid each year, starting before the third year from the filing date. Honduras has been a PCT member since 20 June 2006.

Designs: registered as "industrial design patents", lasting 5 years from the filing date and extendable twice for 5 years each; Honduras is not party to the Hague Agreement, so you file directly.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Guatemala　·　Costa Rica　·　Panama　·　Mexico　·　Dominican Republic

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Notice: the services described on this page are carried out by locally licensed partner firms; J&C is your point of contact and coordinates and delivers the work. Fees shown are estimates; official fees are those actually charged by the office and the final quote is confirmed by an agent. Examination times are set by each office and the outcome depends on official examination; we make no promise as to results. By submitting an order you agree that the information needed for the work is shared with the relevant partner firm (which may be outside your country). This page is general information, not legal advice.

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