How to register a screenplay — WGA West, WGA East, US Copyright

There are three ways to register a screenplay in the United States, and they do different things. Most new writers register with the Writers Guild because the process is fast and the price is low. That's a reasonable choice, but it isn't the strongest legal protection — that's the US Copyright Office. This post explains what each registration actually does, what each one costs, and which combination working writers actually use.

What does registering a screenplay protect?

It depends on which registration. Two distinct kinds of protection are at stake:

• Authorship evidence. A dated record that you, as a specific person, wrote a specific document on a specific date. This is what a WGA registration provides.
• Copyright. The legal right to control copying, performance, and derivative works. This is what a US Copyright Office registration provides — and only this registration unlocks statutory damages and attorney fees in an infringement lawsuit.

Both are useful. They overlap and they don't replace each other. The Copyright Office is explicit that WGA registration does not substitute for federal copyright registration.

Option 1 — WGA West Registry

The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) runs a registry based in Los Angeles. Anyone can register; you don't have to be a guild member.

• Cost: $20 for non-members, $10 for WGA members in good standing.
• Term: 5 years. Renewable in 5-year increments at the current rate.
• Where: wgawregistry.org.
• What it does: Creates a sealed, dated record of your script. If a dispute arises, the WGAW can produce the registered material as evidence of authorship and date.
• What it doesn't do: Establish copyright, unlock statutory damages, or substitute for federal registration.

Option 2 — WGA East Registry

The WGA East (WGAE), based in New York, runs its own registry. Functionally similar to the West registry; the differences are price, term, and which coast you happen to be on.

• Cost: $25 non-member, $10 member, $17 student (with valid student ID).
• Term: 10 years.
• Where: wgaeast.org/script-registration.
• What it does: Same as the West registry — dated authorship record.

Option 3 — US Copyright Office

Federal copyright registration. The strongest protection available, and the only registration that unlocks the full bundle of remedies in a copyright infringement lawsuit.

• Form: Form PA (Performing Arts) — screenplays are a textbook fit for this form.
• Cost:$45 if you're registering a single work by a single author who is also the sole claimant and the work was not made for hire. $65 for the standard online application (multiple authors, collaborators, work-for-hire situations).
• Term: Life of the author plus 70 years. (For works made for hire: the shorter of 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation.)
• Where: copyright.gov/registration/performing-arts.
• What it does:Establishes a public record of your copyright claim. Required before you can sue for infringement of a US work. Allows you to claim statutory damages and attorney's fees if infringement happens after registration (or within three months of first publication).

Which one should you actually do?

The honest answer for most working writers: both a WGA registration and a Copyright Office registration for finished scripts you intend to circulate. The WGA registration is fast and cheap (most registrations process within minutes). The Copyright Office registration is the one that matters legally.

For early drafts and outlines, the WGA registration alone is fine. For a polished script you're sending to agents, managers, contests, or producers — register both. The combined cost is under $50 and the protection delta is large.

What you'll actually upload

For both WGA registries: a PDF of your script. For the Copyright Office: a PDF or other accepted file format (DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT all accepted for textual works). The file you upload is the registered work — if you upload draft 4, the registration covers draft 4. A new draft = a new registration if you want the new material protected.

How to get a clean PDF out of your screenwriting tool: How to format a screenplay covers the format conventions; every modern tool (Final Draft, Highland, WriterDuet, Arqo) exports to PDF in one click.

How long does registration take?

WGA West and WGA East: both register electronically in minutes. You upload, you pay, you receive a confirmation email with a registration number.

US Copyright Office: registration is effective on the date you complete the online filing, but the certificate itself can take six to nine months to issue. {# UNVERIFIED — research before publish: the published USCO processing-time estimates change quarterly; double-check copyright.gov/registration/docs/processing-times-faqs.pdf before publish #} For litigation purposes, the effective date is what matters — not the certificate date.

UK, Canada, Australia

Outside the US, the system varies:

• UK:Copyright is automatic on creation; no registration required for protection. The Writers' Guild of Great Britain offers script registration at comparable rates as evidence of authorship. {# UNVERIFIED — research before publish: WGGB current rate #}
• Canada: Copyright is automatic; the WGC (Writers Guild of Canada) offers a registration service. {# UNVERIFIED — research before publish: WGC rate and term #}
• Australia:Copyright is automatic; the AWG (Australian Writers' Guild) offers a script archive service. {# UNVERIFIED — research before publish: AWG rate #}

For the US-targeted spec market, US Copyright Office registration is what matters regardless of where the writer lives.

Most-asked questions

Is it better to register with the WGA or the Copyright Office?

For legal protection, the Copyright Office. For a fast, cheap dated record, the WGA. Most working writers do both for scripts they're sending out widely.

How much does it cost to register a screenplay?

WGA West: $20 non-member ($10 member). WGA East: $25 non-member ($10 member, $17 student). US Copyright Office: $45 single-author single-work, or $65 standard online application.

Do you have to register before sending your script out?

It's strongly advised. Once your script is in circulation — agents, managers, contests, production companies — you want a dated record of authorship before the script's been read by anyone outside your immediate circle.

Does the WGA registration prove I wrote it first?

It proves what you submitted on the date you submitted it. If someone else can show an earlier date for the same material, the earlier date wins. Register as soon as the draft is one you'd defend.