The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is launching the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program. This pilot program is designed to evaluate how having a limited number of claims under examination impacts pendency and examination quality.
Starting October 27, 2025, the USPTO will begin accepting petitions to make special in certain previously filed, unexamined utility patent applications satisfying the claim requirements of the program. Applications accepted into the pilot program will be advanced out of turn (granted special status) until a first Office action is issued.
To be considered for the program, an applicant must file a petition to make special using the required petition form (PTO/SB/472) and pay the petition fee. The petition form includes an agreement to comply with the claim requirements of the program throughout pendency, if the petition is granted. The USPTO will accept petitions under the program until either October 27, 2026, or the date each Technology Center that examines utility applications has been docketed at least approximately 200 applications accepted into the program, whichever occurs first.
An applicant should not file a petition to make special under the program in an application that is already docketed to an examiner. The USPTO will generally dismiss the petition if the application has already been docketed to a particular examiner in a Technology Center at the time the petition is taken up for decision.
Program requirements
- The application must be a noncontinuing application that is an original (non-reissue) utility nonprovisional application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) before October 27, 2025.
- Note: Any application that claims the benefit of the filing date of one or more prior filed applications that are nonprovisional U.S. applications and/or international applications designating the United States is not eligible for participation in the program. National stage applications are also not eligible for participation in the program.
- Note: Any application that claims the benefit of the filing date of one or more prior filed applications that are nonprovisional U.S. applications and/or international applications designating the United States is not eligible for participation in the program. National stage applications are also not eligible for participation in the program.
- The application must have been electronically filed using Patent Center.
- The specification, claim(s), and abstract conformed with the USPTO requirements for submission in DOCX format at the time the application was filed.
- The application must contain no more than one independent claim, no more than 10 total claims, no multiple dependent claims, and all claims other than the independent claim must comply with the dependency format set forth in the 2025 Federal Register notice announcing the program.
- Note: A petition to make special under the program may be submitted with a preliminary amendment to amend the claims to comply with the claim requirements of the program. A preliminary amendment to the claims submitted after the filing date of the petition will not be considered in deciding the petition.
- Note: A petition to make special under the program may be submitted with a preliminary amendment to amend the claims to comply with the claim requirements of the program. A preliminary amendment to the claims submitted after the filing date of the petition will not be considered in deciding the petition.
- Any previous nonpublication request for the application must be rescinded on or before the filing date of the petition. Form PTO/SB/36 may be used to rescind a nonpublication request.
- A first Office action (including a written restriction requirement) must not have issued in the application at the time of filing the petition.
- No inventor or joint inventor has been named as the inventor or a joint inventor on more than three other nonprovisional applications in which a petition to make special under the program has been filed.
- The petition must be electronically filed using Patent Center.
How to file
- Complete and sign Form PTO/SB/472.
- Save Form PTO/SB/472 and upload via Patent Center
When uploading Form PTO/SB/472, select the document description Petition for Streamlined Claim Set Pilot (found under the Petitions Category) on the Patent Center screen to ensure timely and appropriate processing.
Announcements
- 2025 Federal Register notice 90 FR 48579 (October 27, 2025)
- Press release announcing the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program
Contact us
For questions about Patent Center, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 866-217-9197 or via email to ebc@uspto.gov.
For questions about the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program Federal Register notice, please contact the Office of Patent Legal Administration at 571-272-7704 or via email to PatentPractice@uspto.gov.
For questions about the status of a particular petition, please contact the Office of Petitions at 571-272-3282.