Getting started: Patent Center new users

While you can file a patent application in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Center as an unregistered eFiler, we recommend that you become a registered eFiler with a USPTO.gov account. As a registered eFiler, you will have full access to all of Patent Center's features, such as the ability to save your submission and resume at a later time, submit additional documents or pay fees on an existing application.

Follow these three-steps to become a registered Patent Center user: (1) create your USPTO.gov account, (2) verify your identity with ID.me or by mailing your paper forms, and (3) self-enroll in Patent Center.

Follow these three-steps to become a registered Patent Center user: (1) create your account, (2) verify your identity, (3) self-enroll in Patent Center. Read through our FAQ section for additional information.

Step 1: Create an account and link to ID.me

The first step toward becoming a registered eFiler is to create for yourself a USPTO.gov account. Read through our
Benefits of using a USPTO.gov account webpage to learn more about the account and what systems you can access.

Once you've created your account, you will need to verify your personal information before you become a registered Patent Center user. All registered users must verify their identity to not only prevent fraud, but also to ensure that only legitimate, authorized users can file and access their own pending applications.

If you currently have an ID.me account, sign in, do not create a new one. Once signed in, you can prove your identity by consenting to share your information with the USPTO. If you have not verified your identity, you will be prompted to verify after you sign in.

For detailed information, read the USPTO and ID.me webpage about linking an existing individual ID.me account with the USPTO.

To link your USPTO.gov account with ID.me, follow these basic steps:

Log in to your USPTO.gov account or create an account.
Complete the multi-factor authentication.
Select “Verify with ID.me” and follow the prompts on ID.me. Choose either the Self-Service option or Video Chat Agent option to complete the identity verification process.

Once your USPTO.gov and ID.me accounts are linked, "ID.me Verified" will display in your USPTO.gov account profile.

After you successfully verified your identity online with ID.me, you will need to complete Patent Center self-enrollment before you can file additional documents to an application or manage patent applications online.

Step 2: Verify your identity

There are two ways to verify your identity.

Online: Use ID.me, which should take you approximately 30 minutes. After that, you can complete the "self-enrollment" process in Patent Center.
Paper form: Complete the Patent Electronic System verification form and mail it to USPTO. This may take up to 10 business days.

Verify your identity online using ID.me

ID.me is a third-party vendor who has partnered with the USPTO to provide the digital identity verification required to establish an authorized USPTO.gov account. To verify your identity, you will be required to have:

A USPTO.gov account
A camera-equipped smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection.
A government-issued photo ID with a name exactly identical to the name on your USPTO.gov account. ID.me uses the name on your government-issued photo ID to create the ID.me account. When your USPTO.gov and ID.me are linked, ID.me will overwrite the USPTO.gov name if the two account names are not an exact match.
- Read the ID.me step-by-step instructions on verifying with a driver's license or state ID or verifying with a passport.
Your Social Security number, which ensures your account can’t be duplicated.
Permission to access your credit profile header information, which includes data such as your name, address history, and phone number. It does not involve checking your credit and has no impact on your credit score or rating.

If using ID.me to self-verify, make sure to log into Patent Center to self-enroll as an independent inventor or registered patent practitioner to become an authorized Patent Center user.

What are my options to verify my identity with ID.me?

You have two options to verify your identity with ID.me:

Verifying your identity with Self-Service

This option typically takes less than 15 minutes to complete. When you select this option, you will be providing biometric data in the form of a selfie.

Go to the ID.me's Verifying your identity with self-service webpage for detailed instructions.

If ID.me is unable to verify your identity using Self-Service, you'll be prompted to continue in a short video call where you will be required to show your physical documents.

After the session, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to share your verification status with the USPTO. You must follow the instructions to complete the identity verification process.

Video chat with an agent

For this option, you will verify your identity in a live video chat with an ID.me representative and will have to provide additional identification documents. No biometric data or facial recognition technology is used during the live video chat. The time to complete the verification depends on the volume of customers. Estimated wait times will be displayed.

Go to ID.me's Verifying with an extended video call webpage for instructions.

Please note: The video sessions are recorded for security purposes and will be deleted within 30 days.

After verification, you will receive an email with instructions for sharing your verification status with the USPTO. You must follow the instructions to complete the identity verification process.

Each of these options require you to link your USPTO.gov account with ID.me. If you do not have a USPTO.gov account, you must create one prior to verifying your identity with ID.me.

ID.me and your privacy

ID.me uses your information solely to verify that you are who you say you are and prevent your account from being duplicated by anyone attempting to impersonate you. ID.me uses secure technology and federally compliant information protection practices to safeguard your data. You can view or change your privacy settings online at any time.

Keep in mind:

The USPTO does not receive any personally identifiable information from ID.me other than your name.
Your ID.me account is only used to verify your identity, and the USPTO does not require you to maintain it after that. However, in the future if you want to change your legal name or make certain changes to your USPTO.gov account, you’ll need an active ID.me account to confirm the changes.
If you have already verified your identity using ID.me, you can delete your selfie and associated biometric data from your ID.me account at any time.
If you select the self-service option, you will provide biometric data in the form of a selfie. It will be deleted 24 hours after your ID.me account is created. ID.me matches your selfie to your government-issued photo ID using facial-recognition technology known as 1:1 matching.

The USPTO-specific ID.me page addresses many issues you may encounter during the ID.me process, and the ID.me privacy bill of rights explains how you are in complete control of your data during this process.

Alternate option: Paper form verification

As an alternate option to verify your identity, you can download the Patent Electronic Systems Verification paper form and mail it to the USPTO. If you require a Customer Number you can download the Customer Number Request form and mail it with the completed Patent Electronic Systems Verification paper form.

Completing the Patent Electronic Systems Verification form and Customer Number Request form

Download Patent Electronic Verification form

Useful information when completing the form:

The Patent Electronic Verification form must be notarized before sending to the USPTO.
The name listed on your USPTO.gov account and the Patent Electronic Verification form must match to avoid processing delays.
If you have an existing customer number, write the number on the Patent Electronic Verification form.
- If you do not have a customer number, leave the customer number field blank on the Patent Electronic Verification form. To request a customer number, download and complete the Customer Number Request form.

Send the original, notarized Patent Electronic Verification form (no faxes or copies) along with the original Customer Number Request form to:

Mail Stop EBC Customer Number
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

Expect one to two weeks processing time.

Step 3: Self-enroll in Patent Center

Patent Center self-enrollment allows ID.me verified, registered patent practitioners and inventors to become registered Patent Center users and have full access to the online tools.

The main benefit of online self-enrollment is processing time. Using ID.me verification and Patent Center self-enrollment, you can become an authorized Patent Center user in approximately 30 minutes. Verifying your identity and enrolling in Patent Center via paper can take up to ten business days.

Using the self-enrollment process:

Registered patent practitioners will self-assign their registration number and associated customer numbers to their USPTO.gov account.
- Practitioner support users (paralegals and legal support staff) should not go through self-enrollment in order to access Patent Center. Access to Patent Center is managed by the practitioner through the practitioner support sponsorship process within Patent Center.
Registered independent inventors can self-assign their preexisting customer numbers to their USPTO.gov account.

If you do not have an existing customer number, one can be created in Patent Center once the self-enrollment process is complete.

Self-enrollment instructions

Registered patent practitioner

Accessing Patent Center as a registered patent practitioner is a two-step process:

Link your USPTO.gov account to your ID.me account.
Log into Patent Center, select the Registered practitioner flow, then link your practitioner registration/limited recognition number and associated customer number(s) to your USPTO.gov account using the Patent Center self-enrollment process.

After verifying your identity using ID.me, Patent Center will check your logged in status then display a modal pop-up to start the self-enrollment process.

Select "Registered patent practitioner" as your role.
Enter and verify your registration/recognition number.
Associate customer numbers linked to your registration/recognition number.
Review, then submit.
Verify that you have full access to Patent Center.

If you need assistance with self-enrollment, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 866-217-9197.

Registered independent inventor

Accessing Patent Center as a registered independent inventor is a two-step process:

Verify your identity using ID.me.
Associate your existing customer number(s) to your USPTO.gov account using the Patent Center self-enrollment process.

After verifying your identity using ID.me, Patent Center will check your logged in status then display a modal pop-up to start the self-enrollment process.

Select "Independent Inventor" as your role.
Enter and verify your existing customer number(s).
If you do not have an existing customer number, you can complete the self-enrollment without a customer number then create a new customer number in Patent Center.
Review, then submit.
Verify that you have full access to Patent Center.

If you need assistance with self-enrollment, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 866-217-9197.

FAQs

ID.me

Who do I contact if I require assistance with ID.me self-verification?

Check the USPTO & ID.me help page for general questions about the verification process. If you are having issues specific to the ID.me verification process and require assistance, you may be able to solve the problem by video conferencing with an ID.me Video Chat Agent. If you require further assistance, open an ID.me support ticket using the following steps:

Visit the ID.me help page.
Type, "How do I contact ID.me Support" and follow the online directions.

Who needs to verify their identity?

Patent practitioners and independent inventors must prove their identity in order to log in with a verified, registered USPTO.gov account to file patent applications and follow on papers.

What time of day can I access ID.me to complete online verification?

You can verify your identity online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are unable to complete the self-verification process and are routed to a video call with an ID.me Video Chat Agent, there may be a wait time depending on call volume.

Can I use a company ID.me account with my USPTO.gov account?

No. Each USPTO.gov account must correspond to a single person. ID.me company accounts are not currently allowed to be linked to a USPTO.gov account.

I am currently ID.me Verified for trademark filing purposes. Do I need to verify again to access Patent Center?

If you are currently ID.me Verified as a trademark-proofed attorney or trademark-proofed owner to access trademark filing systems, you do not need to verify your identity again to access Patent Center as a registered user. If you are an independent inventor or a registered patent practitioner/agent, log into Patent Center with your USPTO.gov account and complete self-enrollment.

Sponsorship in trademark systems does not carry over to patent systems. If you are a currently sponsored trademark user, you will need to be separately sponsored by a practitioner in Patent Center.

What NIST standards does ID.me follow?

The online verification process that ID.me uses meets NIST’s 800-63-3 guidelines for Identity Assurance Level 2.

If I am currently a sponsored user, do I need to become ID.me proofed?

At this time, currently sponsored users are not required to be ID.me Verified. However you may go through the ID.me verification as an option.

If I am newly hired paralegal, do I need to be ID.me Verified?

At this time, paralegals and other support staff are not required to be ID.me Verified. Patent Center has a sponsorship process built within the system. However, paralegals and other support staff may get ID.me Verified at their discretion.

USPTO.gov accounts

How does my USPTO.gov account work with identity verification?

A USPTO.gov account is required to access Patent Center. When you create a USPTO.gov account, you provide your name, primary email address, and additional contact information. Identity verification is used to "identify who you are" to the USPTO. After identity verification, the name and email address fields are locked, and your account is authorized. This helps the USPTO ensure that a person using Patent Center to submit documents or access applications is authorized to do so. This applies to both ID.me and paper-proofed verification.

How do I update my registered USPTO.gov email address if I am ID.me Verified?

The ability to self-administer your USPTO.gov email address is removed for security reasons once the account is ID.me Verified. Users will need to contact the Patent Electronic Business Center to update the email address.

When emailing us at EBC@uspto.gov, please title the Subject line, "Update USPTO Account email address". In the body of the email, please provide your current USPTO.gov account email address, new email address, USPTO.gov account full name, and Patent Center user role (Practitioner, Inventor, or Practitioner Support) to help speed up the request.

When the agent processes the update, you will receive an email from the USPTO to "Accept" or "Deny" the update. Once accepted, the USPTO.gov account email address is updated.

IMPORTANT: In order for the agent to process the email update request, the ID.me Verified indicator is removed from the user's USPTO.gov account. We highly suggest that you re-verify their USPTO.gov account with ID.me to ensure access to USPTO.gov systems.

How do I update my registered USPTO.gov name if I am ID.me Verified?

If you are an ID.me user, you will update your name in ID.me first using a government ID with your new or updated name. Go to ID.me then select "Help Center" and search using the keywords "Update name" and follow the instructions to update your name.

Once your name update is complete in ID.me, contact the Patent Electronic Business Center to remove the "ID.me Verified" indicator from your USPTO.gov account. Once the "ID.me Verified" is no longer visible, click the "Verify with ID.me" button and follow the prompts to reestablish the ID.me Verified indicator on your USPTO.gov account. When this final step is complete, ID.me will overwrite the existing USPTO.gov account name.

How do I update my name/email address in my registered USPTO.gov account if I am verified via the Patent Electronic System Verification form?

You do not need to create a new USPTO.gov account to update your name or email address. Please only submit the Patent Electronic Systems Verification Form with your updated information to the Patent Electronic Business Center for processing. Please refer to the Patent Electronic System Verification Form instructions to update your email or name information.

Patent Electronic Systems Verification form

What is a customer number?

A customer number is a unique number created by the USPTO and is used instead of a physical address. The customer number allows you to easily associate all your filings to a single mailing address. Having a customer number eliminates typographical errors or variations in addresses that can make it difficult to receive patent correspondence from the USPTO. Linking your customer number to your application(s) will also ensure only you can access your patent application information using your registered USPTO.gov account.

How long will it take to verify my identity using the paper verification form?

Please anticipate a processing time of five to ten business days after we receive your paper form. To ensure there are no additional delays, review the instructions for completing the paper verification form. You must wait until your paper form is processed before you can access Patent Center as a registered user. If you’re facing any deadlines, consider using the online verification method instead.

Please ensure your name on your USPTO.gov account exactly matches your name listed on the notarized Patent Electronic Systems Verification form to avoid processing delays.

How will I know when processing of the paper form is complete?

The Patent Electronic Business Center will send a confirmation e-notification to your USPTO.gov account’s primary email address when your paper form verification is complete. We will also notify you if there is any issue that requires further attention. Unfortunately, we can’t offer detailed tracking information or expedited service at this time.

Who can notarize the paper form in the United States?

Notaries commissioned by and operating in any state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia can notarize documents in person. Remote online notarization is not permitted at this time.

Patent Center

Do you need assistance with your USPTO.gov account prior to becoming an authorized Patent Center user?

For USPTO.gov assistance prior to becoming a user of Patent Center, contact the USPTO Contact Center by email at usptoinfo@uspto.gov or between 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET at 800-786-9199.

Once you are an authorized Patent Center user, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 866-217-9197 or at EBC@uspto.gov between 6 a.m. to midnight ET, Monday through Friday.

Can I share my registered Patent Center account with others?

No. Account sharing is not permitted under the Terms of Use for USPTO websites. However, if you are an attorney and need legal support staff to work on your behalf, you may sponsor them using the Manage sponsorship option in Patent Center.

Independent inventors cannot sponsor another user.

Can I have duplicate registered Patent Center accounts, such as one for myself and one for work?

Each individual person may only have one registered Patent Center account in order to access patent filing and retrieval. This prevents bad actors from abusing our filing systems and scamming our customers. When filing, you may still enter your alternative contact information into the record. It doesn't need to be the same information that is associated with your verified USPTO.gov account.

I completed ID.me verification and completed Patent Center Self-Enrollment, but I can't access Patent Center as a registered user.

If you successfully completed verification with ID.me and have completed the Patent Center Self-enrollment process, but the self-enrollment pop-modal continues to display or you do not have full Patent Center access, please do the following:

Turn off pop-up blockers on USPTO.gov.
Log out of your USPTO.gov account and clear your browser cache and cookies.
Close and restart your browser. Log back into USPTO.gov.

If you’re still unable to access Patent Center as a registered user or the self-enrollment pop-up modal continues to display, contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at EBC@uspto.gov or call 866-217-9197 between 6 a.m. to midnight ET, Monday through Friday.