Submitting patent applications or patent prosecution correspondence

Almost all new patent applications or correspondence related to patent prosecution may be submitted using EFS-Web, the USPTO’s web-based patent application and document submission system. Using EFS-Web you can submit documents in PDF format directly to the USPTO within minutes. For the small list of documents that cannot be submitted via EFS-Web, see Legal Framework for EFS-Web.  

Alternate submission methods

  • Hand delivery to the USPTO in Alexandria, VA

  • Mail via U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to: Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

    • You must use this address to receive the benefit of a certificate of mailing or Express Mail.

    • If you do not use this address regardless of whether you use a certificate of mailing or Express Mail certificate, you will receive a filing or deposit date that is the actual date of receipt of the correspondence by the USPTO, and not the date the document was deposited with the USPS.

  • Any regular nonprovisional utility application filed by mail or hand-delivery has an additional fee of $400 ($200 for small entities). To avoid this fee, file any nonprovisional utility application via EFS-Web. More information about EFS-Web.