Filing trademark documents when unable to file electronically

You may be eligible for alternate filing options if it’s your filing deadline and you can’t file your documents electronically due to:

  • A technical issue or USPTO system outage
  • An extraordinary reason or widespread disastrous event
  • An inability to complete identity verification  

If you need help determining if any of these situations apply to you, contact the Trademark Assistance Center.

If your filing deadline is today

Go to our alternate filing options page to learn how to file your documents.

Filing deadlines that fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday extend to the next business day. See TMEP section 308.

If you haven’t verified your identity and your filing deadline is today

We require all customers to verify their identity before they can access our electronic filing system and submit trademark documents to us. If you can’t complete the identity verification process before your deadline, go to our alternate filing options page and follow the steps for filing by fax. Be sure to include a statement explaining the verification method you attempted (if any), and what issue prevented you from verifying your identity. 

You must verify your identity as soon as possible for us to consider your submission as timely received. We won’t review your submission until we confirm you have verified your identity.

If your filing deadline is in the future

We recommend checking our systems status and availability page and try filing later. If you need technical help or get an error message, email our support team.

If your filing deadline has passed

Go to our petitions page to determine your eligibility for filing a petition. If you have questions about which petition is appropriate, contact the Trademark Assistance Center.

If you’re trying to file through the Electronic Systems for Trademark Trials and Appeals (ESTTA)

Follow the instructions on our Trademark Trial and Appeal Board page.