Maintain Your Patent

All utility patents which issue from applications filed on or after December 12, 1980 are subject to maintenance fees, which must be paid to maintain the patent in force. These fees are due 3 1/2, 7 1/2 and 11 1/2 years from the date of the original patent grant. Fee payments must include both patent and application numbers. If the fee is being paid for reissue, the application number required is the reissue application number. To access information on the current fees and costs associated with your patent, access the fee schedule .

Bibliographic data and the fee amounts due for a specific patent are available here, or by calling 571-272-6500 and selecting option #1, and then option #1 again when prompted by our automated system. Additional patent maintenance fee information is available on the Maintenance Fee Branch page.

• Three Ways To Pay
• View a weekly list of patents for which maintenance fees may now be paid:
       Go to the Official Gazette Notices, choose the year and week of interest, and select the "Notice of Maintenance Fees Payable" link located near the top of the Web page.
• View a weekly list of patents expired for failure to pay maintenance fees:
      Go to the Official Gazette Notices , choose the year and week of interest, and select the "Notice of Expiration of Patents Due to Failure to Pay Maintenance Fee" link located near the top of the Web page.

 

Three Ways To Pay

There are 3 ways you may pay maintenance fees on your patent:

• Pay Online using a credit card, deposit account, or EFT account.
• Pay by Fax using a credit card or deposit account, and fax to 571-273-6500. If paying by fax, complete and submit the “Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form” and the “Credit Card Payment Form” (if paying with a credit card).
• Pay by Mail using a check or money order, credit card, or deposit account. If paying by mail, complete and submit the  "Maintenance Fee Transmittal Form “ and the “Credit Card Payment Form” (if paying with a credit card).

       Mailing address if paying with a check or money order:
       U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,
       P.O. Box 979070
       St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

       Mailing address if paying with a credit card or deposit account (or by hand delivery):
       Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
       Attn: Maintenance Fees
       2051 Jamieson Avenue, Suite 300
       Alexandria, VA 22314

Note: A maintenance fee payment can be timely made using the certificate of mailing or transmission procedure set forth in 37 CFR 1.8, or the USPS Express Mail procedure set forth in 37 CFR 1.10.

 

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