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.