Patent Registration in United States
US utility patent prosecution, and the fee tiers are where the money is. Most patent fees have THREE tiers: undiscounted, small entity (37 CFR 1.27 — independent inventors, businesses under 500 employees, non-profits and universities) at 60% off, and micro entity (37 CFR 1.29 — a qualifying small entity also meeting an income limit and a cap on prior filings) at 80% off. A non-provisional utility filing needs the basic filing fee PLUS the search and examination fees: $350 + $770 + $880 = $2,000 undiscounted, against $140 + $308 + $352 for a small entity and $70 + $154 + $176 for a micro entity. The issue fee is $1,290 undiscounted ($516 small, $258 micro), and three maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years — $2,150, $4,040 and $8,280 undiscounted — keep the patent in force for its full term; there is no fourth. Figures are from the USPTO schedule effective 19 January 2025, last revised 14 August 2026.
10–30 business days
USD
What we will need from you
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Specification, claims, abstract and any drawings
Inventor and applicant details
Entity-status certification — small entity (37 CFR 1.27) or micro entity (37 CFR 1.29)
Worth 60% or 80% off most fees. A startup or small business under 500 employees generally qualifies as a small entity; a founder meeting the income and prior-filing limits may qualify as a micro entity. These are the concessions to claim.
Priority document
Where priority is claimed, e.g. from an earlier provisional application.
US correspondence address and, in practice, a registered US patent practitioner
We confirm the current requirement on an official USPTO page rather than stating it as settled.
Cost breakdown
Our fee and the government’s are always separate lines. Government fees are passed through at exactly what the authority charges — we add nothing to them.
| Utility basic filing feeVERIFIED from the live USPTO fee schedule: $350 undiscounted, $140 small entity, $70 micro entity. A non-provisional utility application also requires the search and examination fees below IN ADDITION to this. | $350Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Utility search feeVERIFIED: $770 undiscounted, $308 small entity, $154 micro entity. | $770Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Utility examination feeVERIFIED: $880 undiscounted, $352 small entity, $176 micro entity. So filing plus search plus examination is $2,000 undiscounted. | $880Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Utility issue feeVERIFIED: $1,290 undiscounted, $516 small entity, $258 micro entity. Paid once the application is allowed. | $1,290Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Maintenance fee due at 3.5 yearsonly if it appliesVERIFIED: $2,150 undiscounted, $860 small entity, $430 micro entity. | $2,150Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Maintenance fee due at 7.5 yearsonly if it appliesVERIFIED: $4,040 undiscounted, $1,616 small entity, $808 micro entity. | $4,040Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Maintenance fee due at 11.5 yearsonly if it appliesVERIFIED: $8,280 undiscounted, $3,312 small entity, $1,656 micro entity. There is no fourth maintenance fee — these three payments keep a utility patent in force for its full term. | $8,280Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Provisional application filing feeonly if it appliesNo amount asserted. The provisional fee rose in the January 2025 rule and the current figure was NOT cleanly captured from the live fee schedule in our research, which expressly says not to publish it until re-read; the superseded 2020 schedule's $300 / $150 / $75 must not be used. Read off the current USPTO schedule at quote. | Confirmed before payment |
| Comriq professional fee | Fixed fee within 1 business day |
These are the authority’s published lines. Which of them apply depends on your filing — a schedule by headcount, capital or entity type is one line, not all of them — and the applicable line is confirmed before payment, at cost.
How it runs
You will see these exact stages update in your client portal as we progress.
Drafting
Specification and claims drafted, and entity status assessed — small or micro status is worth 60% or 80% off most fees.
Application Filed
Non-provisional utility application filed with the basic filing, search and examination fees ($2,000 undiscounted; $386 at micro-entity rates).
Examination
Office actions answered; after a final rejection the options include a Request for Continued Examination or an appeal to the PTAB. Response periods and extension fees are confirmed with the USPTO, not assumed.
Grant
Issue fee paid ($1,290 undiscounted) and the patent granted; maintenance fees then fall due at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years.
Ready to start?
This one is priced to your situation — most of what we do needs a local filing agent, so we scope it rather than guess. Tell us the specifics and we come back with a fixed quote and a confirmed timeline, within one business day.
Not sure this is the right service? A paid expert call is credited against your order.
Verified September 2026
Requirements and statutory fees are set by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.