Petitions received by the USPTO are given a document description or document code that routes the paper to the appropriate deciding office. It is important to use available forms or an appropriate header that clearly identifies the type of petition being filed (e.g., Petition under 37 CFR 1.181 to withdraw a holding of abandonment) to help minimize processing delays.
When filing a petition electronically via the patents electronic filing systems, the filer is responsible for choosing the appropriate document description. A list of available document descriptions is available online.
The delegation of authority to decide petitions is outlined in MPEP § 1002. The Patents Petitions Timeline also provides information on deciding offices for various petitions at each stage of prosecution. You may refer to these resources if you are unsure of the appropriate deciding office for your petition.
The most common document description for petitions handled by the Office of Petitions is “Petition for review by the Office of Petitions” (PET.OP).
Describing petitions as letters or miscellaneous documents will likely result in processing delays.