The Patent Electronic Systems use the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) single sign-on (SSO) system, the USPTO.gov account, for secure two-factor authentication. USPTO.gov accounts are based on email address, and each account uses the email address as the account name or user ID. When you opt in to two-step authentication, you will receive a one-time verification code delivered by email, mobile device, or phone call to grant access to the Patent Electronic Systems.
Customers seeking access and use of the USPTO's Patent Electronic Systems may do so as either non-registered or registered users. As an unregistered user, you can only file new applications and access publicly available applications. You will not be able to file follow on papers or view your new submission unless you become a registered user.
Benefits of registration allows users of the USPTO’s Electronic Filing System (EFS-Web) the ability to electronically save materials being created for submission and to file follow-on materials. In addition, associating applications to your customer number and registered USPTO.gov account enables users of the USPTO’s Private Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system to review the status of their unpublished submissions and to track their patent applications online.
Therefore, we highly encourage users to become a registered user to fully utilize the capability of the systems. Customers may obtain "registered" status in three easy steps:
- Create a USPTO.gov account
- Create a Customer Number
- Submit the Patent Electronic Verification Form to register your USPTO.gov account and link your customer number to access and use the Patent Electronic Systems. Once the submitted form has been processed, you will be notified by an agent from the Patent Electronic Business Center (PEBC) Helpdesk.
Create a USPTO.gov account
USPTO.gov accounts are created and managed through the MyUSPTO homepage. The MyUSPTO page allows users to create accounts, change passwords, enable two-step authentication, set the method(s) to receive the one-time verification code, and record personal information, including alternate email addresses and telephone numbers. This information is used to uniquely identify you and allow secure access to your patent data. If you need any assistance creating your USPTO.gov account, please call the USPTO Contact Center (UCC) at 800-786-9199.
* When creating the USPTO.gov account, enter your complete legal name, including first name, middle name (not initial) and last name and use this same name when submitting the Patent Electronic Verification Form. Complete legal names must be provided to avoid confusion between people having the same first name, middle initial and last name.
* Registered practitioners or practitioners granted limited recognition, the name provided must correspond to Office of Enrollment and Discipline records.
* When creating the USPTO.gov account, you must opt in two-step authentication to access EFS-Web and Private PAIR. If the Electronic Business Center (EBC) determines that you have not selected two-step authentication when they are processing the Patent Electronic System Verification form, they will do so for you. The default delivery method of the authentication code is email notification.
To assure the security of your data, follow the policy described in the Patent Electronic System Access Document and Patent Electronic System Subscriber Agreement.
Patent Electronic System Access Document [PDF]
Patent Electronic System Subscriber Agreement [PDF]
Obtain a Customer Number
A Customer Number is a unique number created by the USPTO and is used in lieu of a physical address. The customer number allows you to easily associate all your filings to a single mailing address, thus eliminating typographical errors or variations in addresses that can make it difficult to receive patent correspondence from the USPTO. Linking the customer number to your application(s) will also ensure that only you can access your patent application information using your registered USPTO.gov account.
To get your unique Customer Number, please download and complete the
Customer Number Request form [PDF] and fax it to the EBC 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.
Practitioners are reminded that they must also notify the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) of any changes to their contact information within 30 days of the date of the change. See 37 C.F.R. § 11.11(a). More information is available at: http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/index.jsp.
Obtain a Verified USPTO.gov Account
Now that you have obtained a Customer Number, created a USPTO.gov account, and read the Patent Electronic System Access Document and Patent Electronic System Subscriber Agreement, you can download and complete the Patent Electronic System Verification Form.
* Please note, the name listed on the USPTO.gov account and on the Patent Electronic Verification form must match to minimize form processing time. If the names do not match, the EBC will contact you so that you can modify the USPTO.gov account name to match the name listed on the submitted form.
Patent Electronic Verification Form [PDF] Updated 2/19/19
Complete the Patent Electronic Verification Form and have it notarized by a notary and mail the original form (no faxes or copies) to:
Mail Stop EBC Customer Number
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
- Update your existing Registered USPTO.gov account email
Do you currently have an existing registered USPTO.gov account and you need to update the email address? Please do not create a new USPTO.gov account with the "new" email address then submit the Patent Electronic Verification Form with the updated information. Please only submit the Patent Electronic Verification Form with your new email address to the EBC for processing. Please refer to the Patent Electronic Verification Form Instructions to update your email or name information.
* Patent Electronic Verification Form Instructions [PDF] Updated 2/19/19
Update an existing Customer Number
If you are currently a registered Private PAIR user, you can update any existing customer number you have access to in real time by first authenticating, then selecting PAIR Administration, then View Customer Number Details.
Alternatively, you can update the information of an existing customer number by downloading then faxing the completed
Customer Number Data Change form [PDF] 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.
- Link Existing Patent Applications to a Customer Number
If you do not have any applications on file with the USPTO, please disregard this section. However, if you have patent applications on file with the USPTO, you need to associate these applications with your Customer Number.
To associate multiple existing patent applications to a Customer Number, please download and complete the
Customer Number Upload Spreadsheet [MS Excel]
This information can be sent on a CD or USB memory stick to:
Mail Stop EBC Customer Number
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
One can additionally file a change of correspondence address form PTO/AIA/122 or PTO/SB122 to an individual application to change the correspondence address to a customer number.
* To associate a PCT application in the International phase with a Customer Number for purposes of viewing the PCT application in Private PAIR, please download and complete the
Request to Update a PCT Application with a Customer Number form [MS Word] and fax it to the Electronic Business Center at 571-273-0177.