Advancement of examination petitions

IPLA – International Patent Legal Administration
OPET – Office of Petitions
TC – Technology Center

Generally available

Petition typeAverage days pending of decided petitionsMedian days pending of decided petitionsGrant rate percentageDeciding officeePetition option
601 - To make application special on ground of age or health (37 CFR 1.102, MPEP 708.02)323195%OPETePetition Available - Get Immediate Decisions

Prior to examination

Petition typeAverage days pending of decided petitionsMedian days pending of decided petitionsGrant rate percentageDeciding officeePetition option
223 - JPO-USPTO Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP)NoneNoneNoneIPLA 
224 - KIPO-USPTO Collaborative Search Pilot (CSP)NoneNoneNoneIPLA 
605 - To make special energy program (37 CFR 1.102, MPEP 708.02)NoneNoneNoneTC 
607 - Reason not provided for in petition codes 601-6064241.5100%*TC 
639 - To make special prospective manufacture (37 CFR 1.102, MPEP 708.02)NoneNoneNoneTC 
643 - Prioritized examination544293%OPET 
644 - To make special under the law school pilot program381990%*OPET 
646 - To make special for accelerated examination (MPEP 708.02 (a))977947%*TC 
652 - Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)303081%OPET 
691 - Related color drawings of photographs. MPEP 608.02 (VIII)                                   1166466%TC 
Please scroll to the top of this page to view other petition types that are available during this stage.

During examination

Petition typeAverage days pending of decided petitionsMedian days pending of decided petitionsGrant rate percentageDeciding officeePetition option
612 - Relating to refusal to enter an amendment (37 CFR 1.181, MPEP 714.13 (III))194579%*TC 
617 - Relating to refusal to enter an amendment (37 CFR 1.312, MPEP 1002.02 (c))5958.50%*TC 
Please scroll to the top of this page to view other petition types that are available during this stage.

*Infrequently filed petition

Displayed are the 12-month rolling average and median values. When the median value is significantly different from the average value, the median value will better represent when a particular category of a petition has been decided. This is because a small number of outliers can disproportionately impact the average value. The values exclude ePetitions.

The data is current as of October 1, 2024, and is updated quarterly.