A customer number allows you to easily correlate all your filings and correspondence with a single mailing address, eliminating typographical errors or variations in addresses that can make it difficult to correspond with the USPTO.

To take advantage of Electronic Filing System (EFS) and Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) for pending patent applications on our web site, several pieces of information must be correlated to assure that you and only you have access to your data. This page describes the steps you must perform to help us connect you to your data

SETTING UP YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER

1. Apply for a Customer Number

First, you must have a Customer Number, which will be used to ensure that only you can access your patent application information. To get your unique Customer Number, please download and complete the

Customer Number Request form [fillable PDF, 208kB]

and fax it to the Electronic Business Center at 571-273-0177.  

If you are a registered attorney or patent agent, or a person granted limited recognition, then your registration number or limited recognition number must be associated with your customer number. This is accomplished by adding your registration number to the Customer Number Request form.

2. You have your Customer Number, now what?

Once you have your Customer Number, you must also associate your current patent applications with it. Please see the

Customer Number Upload Spreadsheet [MS Excel, 241kB]

showing how to put this information into spreadsheet format. This information can be sent on a diskette to:

Mail Stop EBC Customer Number
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

If you do not have any pending applications on file, then skip to Step 3.

3. To Update a Customer Number

If you have a Customer Number and you need to update the information associated with it, please download and complete the

Customer Number Data Change Form [filllable PDF, 180kB]

and fax to the Electronic Business Center at 571-273-0177. This may be useful to attorneys changing firms or organizations that are reorganizing the management of a group of patents.

Read about becoming a registered attorney or patent agent, or being granted limited recognition;; however, this is not required to be a PAIR participant.

NEXT - GETTING READY FOR PKI SECURE ACCESS (DIGITAL CERTIFICATE)

4. Read the Subscriber Agreement and Request a Digital Certificate

After you have read the

Subscriber Agreement [PDF, 66kB]

and obtained your Customer Number, you can complete the

Certificate Action Form [PDF, 63kB] (PKI secure access form)

Then have the Certificate Action Form notarized by a notary and mail the originals (no faxes or copies) to

Mail Stop EBC
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

or provide the completed Certificate Action Form and proof of identity in person by to a USPTO employee designated by the USPTO CIO to perform this task.

This information will be used to generate a certificate that will be used to uniquely identify you and allow secure access to your data. To assure the security of your data, follow the policy described in the Subscriber Agreement.

5. Obtaining Your Access Codes

After your application has been approved you will receive two codes:

1) Authorization Code and 2) Reference Number.

The Authorization Code will be sent via e-mail and the Reference Number by U.S. mail. In addition, for customers with U.S. residence only, the Patent EBC will attempt one phone call to deliver the Reference Number. The Reference Number will only be given if the requestor is reached, otherwise a message will be left that their Reference Number will be mailed and to contact the Patent EBC with any questions.

Once you have both codes, you will be able to access Private PAIR and take advantage of electronic filing of patent applications or patent application status checks via the Internet. For any customer who would like to receive their Reference Number before it arrives via U.S. mail, please contact the Patent EBC at 1-866-217-9197.

6. Recovery of Access Codes

Code life span is 90 days, starting on the date of issuance. If your codes expire or have been lost, contact the Patent EBC at 1-866-217-9197 to request reactivation. The Authorization Code will be sent via e-mail.  The Reference Number will  be given to the requestor via telephone after the requestor calls the EBC.   International customers will receive their Reference Number in a separate e-mail from the Authorization Code.

7. Digital Certificate Management

Use this site to create a set of recovery codes, manage your digital certificate contact information, and recover lost or damaged digital certificates online.