How Much Does It Cost to Copyright Something? (Price Guide)

Copyright protection starts on its own once you create an original work and fix it in a tangible form, such as writing it down, recording it, or saving a file. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is a separate, optional step. What you pay is a government filing fee, and the amount depends on the kind of work, how many works you file together, and whether you file online or on paper.

The prices below come from the Copyright Office's own fee schedule, checked on Oct 13, 2026. The amounts come from Copyright Office, so they are what you pay the agency directly. They do not include anything a lawyer, filing service, or printing shop might add.

The Copyright Office offers more than one online path. The cheaper one is limited: it covers a single author, one work, and a work that was not made for hire, and the author must also be the claimant. The fee for that route is $45.

Everything else goes through the standard application, at $65. That includes works with more than one author, works made for hire, and works where the owner is someone other than the author. If you are unsure which one fits, read the eligibility notes on the Copyright Office site before you pay, because filing under the wrong route can delay your claim.

Paper filing is available but costs more, at $125. Paper forms also tend to take longer to process, so most people file online.

If you have several related works, a group option may cost less than filing each one separately. The Copyright Office has set fees for certain kinds of groups:

• Unpublished works filed together cost $85 for the group.
• Published photographs, or unpublished photographs, filed as a group cost $55.
• Short online literary works filed as a group cost $65.

Each group type has its own rules about what can be included and how the works must be organized. Read the requirements for the group you are considering before you submit, since a work that does not qualify can be refused.

Registering is often the only fee people pay, but a few related services have their own price.

A supplementary registration fixes or expands an existing registration, for example to correct a title or a missing author name. An additional certificate is a second copy of the registration certificate. Recordation is a different service: it puts a document, such as a copyright transfer, on the public record.

Some older or specialized filings also have fees, including renewal claims at $125 and preregistration of certain unpublished works at $200. Preregistration applies only to certain kinds of works that are being prepared for release, so most creators will never need it.

• Type of work. A single song, a book, a photograph, and a software program can all be registered, but group options exist only for some of them.
• Number of works. Registering ten works one by one costs far more than using a group option where one is allowed.
• Online or paper. Paper filing costs more and moves slower.
• Expedited handling. The Copyright Office offers faster processing for an extra fee. Check its site for the current amount, since this service is priced separately from the registration fee.
• Help from a professional. An attorney or a filing service charges its own fee on top of the government fee. Many people file directly because the online process is built for individuals.
• Deposit copy. You must send a copy of the work. Digital uploads are free in most cases, but physical copies cost postage and printing.

No. Your copyright exists without registration. Registration matters mostly when you need to enforce your rights. In the United States, you generally need a registration, or a refused application, before you can file an infringement lawsuit over a U.S. work. Registering early can also affect what remedies are available later. A licensed attorney can explain how this applies to your situation, because the details depend on the work and the facts.

A registration also creates a public record of your claim and the date it was made. That record is useful if someone else later claims the same work.

Some websites advertise copyright registration with a service fee and the government fee on top. The service may be legitimate, and you can also file on the Copyright Office's own website. Before paying a third party, compare their total to the agency's fee shown above.

Another mistake is filing separately for works that qualify as a group. Another is choosing the wrong application type and having to refile. Spending a few minutes on the eligibility rules is cheaper than paying twice.