Almost all new patent applications or correspondence related to patent prosecution may be submitted using Patent Center, the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) web-based patent application and document submission system. By using Patent Center, you can submit documents in PDF format directly to the USPTO within minutes. For the short list of documents that cannot be submitted via Patent Center, see Legal Information and Guidance for Patent Center.
Alternate submission methods
- Hand delivery to the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia
- 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 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, your filing or deposit date will be the date the USPTO received your correspondence, not the date you mailed the document through 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 Patent Center.