Patent Center allows you to check your application status and electronically file and manage patent applications in one location.
How to check the status of your patent application in Patent Center
Step 1: Sign in to Patent Center
- If you don't yet have access to USPTO electronic filing systems, visit the Getting Started - New Users page. There, you can register for Patent Center access, so you can file and manage your applications electronically.
Step 2: Find your patent application
- You can search for patent applications on both the Home page and the Search page.
- Select the search option (application, attorney docket, patent, PCT, publication, Intl. Design Reg.), enter the corresponding number, and click on the magnifying glass to obtain results.
Step 3: Open the application record to view status of your patent application
- New documents may not display in Patent Center immediately after filing them.
See the Patent Center Application Search User Guide for detailed instructions on searching and viewing your patent applications.
You can also search public patent applications at the USPTO Open Data Portal (ODP), a data platform for discovering and easily extracting USPTO data without signing in to Patent Center.
Timeline for patent applications
Pendency times on the Patents Dashboard: USPTO Data Visualization Center indicate when newly filed applications are likely to be examined (months to First Office Action) and disposed (months to when the patent is either issued or the application is abandoned).
First Office Action Pendency
First Office Action Pendency is the average number of months from the date you file your patent application to the date the USPTO mails a First Office Action. "Pendency" refers to the application being “pending,” or awaiting a decision. The pendency period also includes any time during which the USPTO waits for you to submit all parts of the application. The pendency number displayed is the average number of months for all applications that have a First Office Action mailed over the past three months (fiscal quarter).
Traditional Total Pendency
The graphic chart above shows the historical measure of total patent pendency. Historically, pendency has been measured as the average number of months from the application filing date to the final disposition date (called a “disposal” — either a patent is issued or the application is abandoned). This pendency includes the wait times for you to receive official action from the USPTO and for us to receive an official reply from you the applicant. The Traditional Total Pendency number displayed, measured in months, is the average for all applications — excluding those for which a Request for Continued Examination (RCE) has been filed — “disposed” over three months (a fiscal quarter).
Contact us
If you need help registering to access USPTO filing systems, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC). For any other questions, visit the contact us webpage.