# Trademark registration in El Salvador

> Trademarks in El Salvador are registered with the Instituto Salvadoreño de la Propiedad Intelectual, Centro Nacional de Registros (ISPI).  El Salvador is not in the Madrid System, so a national filing is needed.

Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/el-salvador
Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11

## Key facts
- **Trademark office:** Instituto Salvadoreño de la Propiedad Intelectual (Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property), Centro Nacional de Registros (ISPI)
- **Madrid Protocol:** Not a member

## Official links
- Trademark office: https://www.e.cnr.gob.sv
- Law: Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Intellectual Property Law), Legislative Decree No. 66, published 15 August 2024, in force six months after publication — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/22675
- Law: Legislative Decree No. 764 (2002) ratifying the Protocol to the Central American Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/17043

## Steps
1. Search the intellectual property records for earlier conflicting marks.
2. File the application with the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI) of the Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR); the CNR describes the trademark process as fully digital.
3. The ISPI examines the application under the Ley de Propiedad Intelectual of 2024.
4. If the application is accepted, it is published in the ISPI's electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin instead of the Diario Oficial and newspapers, so that third parties can oppose it.
5. If there is no successful opposition, the registration is granted; it must be renewed every 10 years.

- **Publication:** Electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin of the ISPI/CNR (replacing publication in the Diario Oficial and national newspapers under the former law)
- **Language:** Spanish

## Good to know
- A new Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Decree No. 66, published 15 August 2024) took effect six months after publication and repealed the former Ley de Marcas y Otros Signos Distintivos (Decree No. 868), so older guidance on Salvadoran trademark procedure may be out of date.
- Under the new law, trademark applications are handled by the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI), a body of the CNR that took over the functions of the former Intellectual Property Registry.
- Applications are no longer published in the Diario Oficial and two national newspapers; they are published in the CNR's electronic bulletin.
- Trade names and advertising signs, previously protected indefinitely, now also have to be renewed every 10 years.
- El Salvador is not a member of the Madrid System, so protection requires a national application.

## FAQ
### Is El Salvador part of the Madrid Protocol?
No. El Salvador is not a Madrid System member, so trademarks must be filed nationally with the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI) of the CNR.

### Which office registers trademarks in El Salvador?
The Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI), part of the Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR), which took over from the former Intellectual Property Registry under the 2024 law.

### Which law governs trademarks in El Salvador?
The Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Decree No. 66), published on 15 August 2024 and in force six months later, which replaced the former Ley de Marcas y Otros Signos Distintivos.

### Do trademark applications in El Salvador still have to be published in newspapers?
No. Under the 2024 law, applications are published in the CNR's electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin instead of the Diario Oficial and national newspapers.

### Do trade names have to be renewed in El Salvador?
Yes. Under the 2024 law, trade names and advertising signs must be renewed every 10 years; they were previously protected indefinitely.

## Sources
- WIPO – El Salvador IP office contact: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/country-profiles/contact?code=sv
- WIPO Lex: El Salvador Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Decree No. 66, 2024): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/22675
- WIPO Lex: El Salvador profile: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/members/profile/SV
- WIPO Lex: Legislative Decree No. 764 (2002): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/17043
- WIPO: Madrid System members: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/madrid-system/members

Need a firm that files in El Salvador? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/el-salvador (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled).
General information, not legal advice.