Please visit the Finding a patent practitioner or Finding a trademark practitioner for more information.

A list of requests, requirements, fees, and routine processing times is provided at Routine Processing of Certain Documents Submitted to OED.

If you have questions regarding enrollment matters, we offer the ability for you to come in or meet virtually with an enrollment specialist. Please visit the OED enrollment appointment request page to schedule a virtual or in-person appointment. We are available by phone or email at 571-272-4097 or [email protected].

ONLINE: Online payment is preferred using our online portals. We accept credit and debit card, deposit account, or EFT when paying online.

FAX: We accept credit and debit card, or deposit account when paying by fax. For credit and debit card payments, include the Credit Card Payment Form.

MAIL: We accept check or money order, credit and debit card, or deposit account when paying by mail. For credit and debit card payments, include the Credit Card Payment Form.

Email or cash payments are NOT accepted.

You may apply or reapply online at Exam Applicant Portal OR by mail PTO 158 form – Please refer to the General Requirements Bulletin for applicable fees.

Download the General Requirements Bulletin for detailed information. You may also visit the application and registration process summary page for a brief description, timeline, and applicable fees.

Please use the User ID or Password Recovery tool at OEDIS-CI.

No, OED staff members do not provide a telephone evaluation of an applicant’s scientific and technical qualifications. You are encouraged to submit an application with required fees and supporting documentation. Your application will be reviewed and we will advise you whether you are eligible to be admitted to the registration examination.

The official transcript will be accepted from an applicant (original mailed to OED) or directly from the university or college (original mailed to OED or official electronic transcripts sent to [email protected]). A diploma, copy of the diploma, or copy of the transcript will not be accepted. The college or university transcript must be official and include the university stamp or seal. Certified English translations of foreign language documents must be furnished for the foreign language documents to be considered.

If your degree does not identically match one of the Category A degrees, OED will evaluate your degree to determine whether your degree is equivalent to one of the listed Category A degrees. However, to avoid delays in processing, you may wish to submit course descriptions with your initial application to permit a Category B analysis if degree equivalence is not apparent from the transcript.

Applicants must submit transcripts that support the requirements for registration as shown in the GRB. You are not required to submit transcripts that are not relied upon to establish scientific and technical qualifications. However, it may be beneficial if you submit it.

Disclose the information. Provide honest and complete answers to all questions on the second page of the application form. If the answer is "yes", then mark the "yes" box, and provide the appropriate explanation and supporting documentation. For more information please see the GRB.

Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 11.8(a), OED publishes the names and application addresses of individuals seeking registration or recognition to practice before the USPTO to solicit information concerning the individual's good moral character and reputation. The address used is the address of record at the time the applicant passes the exam or a waiver or reciprocity application is approved. If you would like to have a different address published you may submit a Change of Address request prior to the publication. Once the names and addresses are published in the Official Gazette they cannot be changed.

Please do not call OED regarding the status of an application unless applicant has not received a response four weeks after submitting an application or supplemental papers. However, an applicant who has not received a response from OED after four weeks should contact OED as soon as possible thereafter. An applicant should not expect to receive any extension to the ninety-day window for scheduling the examination, particularly in a situation where the applicant delayed reporting the lack of receipt after four weeks.

Applicants who wish to receive an acknowledgment of the receipt of an application are required to include with the application a self-addressed stamped postcard to be used for the application receipt. OED will stamp the receipt date on the postcard and place it in the outgoing mail.

OED staff cannot evaluate applications on the phone. If you receive an incomplete notice, and desire further consideration of your scientific and technical qualifications, please submit a written request for reconsideration to OED or you may submit a petition to the Director of OED. Any petition for review must include the $420 fee.

You must notify OED. If you applied online, you may update your address and phone number through the Applicant Portal (preferred method). If you did not apply online, or you prefer to submit this request via email, mail, or fax, you may submit a signed or signed with your S-signature request and clearly indicate that the request is for an applicant who is taking the exam. You must also notify Prometric at the phone number and address shown on the admission letter.

An applicant reapplying after a notice of failure or no-show must submit the following:

• A completed Application for Registration Form (PTO-158);
• $110.00 non-refundable application fee;
• $210.00 registration examination fee;
• All other documentation necessary to update the application, such as, but not limited to, responses to questions 14-21 if NOT previously submitted to OED.

Any documentation or transcript previously submitted to OED after 2006 need not be resubmitted.

The examination includes 100 multiple-choice questions, of which 90 are scored. To pass the examination, an applicant must correctly answer seventy percent of the scored questions (63 of 90). Each scored question has been psychometrically analyzed to ensure the question provides a useful assessment of an applicant’s legal qualifications. For additional information pertaining to the exam please see the GRB.

The USPTO registration examination is administered at Prometric test centers in the United States and U.S. Territories. After you receive your admission letter from the USPTO, please contact Prometric as soon as possible to schedule exam at www.prometric.com or call the toll-free number: 800-479-6369.

If the applicant has time remaining on their examination window, they may call the USPTO to request their eligibility to be reset with Prometric. An applicant who fails to take a scheduled examination will be subject to Prometric rescheduling and fee policies.

If there is no time remaining on the eligibility window, the applicant may thereafter reapply for admission.  The fees upon reapplication include the $110.00 application fee and the $210.00 examination fee.

Ninety-day extensions of the period of time in which to schedule the registration examination are available for a fee of $115.00 under 37 C.F.R. § 11.7(b)(4)(ii) or 11.9(e)(4)(ii), as applicable. If you applied online, you may submit an extension request through the Applicant Portal (preferred method). If you did not apply online, or you prefer to submit this request via mail or fax, you may submit your name as used on your application and the fee by mail or fax. An extension may be requested and granted an unlimited number of times. To be eligible to be granted an extension, the request and fee must be received before the applicant’s current period of time to schedule the registration examination expires. If the fee is not included, the request will not be granted. If the request is received after expiration of the period of time in which to schedule the registration examination, the request will be denied and the fee will be refunded. Please note that Prometric may charge a separate fee for scheduling or rescheduling the examination.

The unofficial results are displayed on the computer terminal and printed at the Prometric’s Test Center at the end of the examination.

An applicant taking the examination over two days (due to a reasonable accommodations granted) will NOT receive unofficial results at the Prometric Test Center.

Official Results are typically mailed to the address of record within 5 business days.

No. Under 37 C.F.R. § 11.7(e), “Notification of the examination results is final. … Substantive review of the answers or questions may not be pursued by petition for regrade.” See also 69 Fed. Reg. 35428 (24 June 2004).

You may schedule an appointment to review the questions and answers you answered incorrectly.  Any such review session must occur within 60 days of the mailing date of the notice of results. You may schedule a computer-based review session with Prometric. The cost of a Prometric review session is currently $261.00.

Alternatively, you may schedule a paper-based review session at the Office of Enrollment and Discipline in Alexandria, Virginia. The cost of a USPTO review session is currently $470.00.

Review sessions are two and one half (2.5) hours long.

No, applicants must submit both fees at the time the application is submitted to OED. The application will be deemed incomplete without the fee and OED will not process the application unless all fees are received with the completed application.

Yes, the applicant may choose to submit one or two checks.

The $210.00 registration examination fee will be refunded to a disapproved applicant in due course; the $110.00 application fee is not refundable. The fees from one application will not be deferred to another application.

No, applications for the computer-based registration examination administered by Prometric are accepted every day in the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.

Yes, at the following link:  General Requirement Bulletin.

OED can confirm that an applicant’s petition and the $420.00 fee was received; however, OED cannot discuss its merits.

It takes approximately 3 months for delivery in most cases.

If you have an extraordinary situation where justice requires suspension or waiver of an OED rule, you may submit a petition to the OED Director under 37 C.F.R. § 11.3.

OED maintains a register of active patent practitioners who are eligible to represent others before the USPTO in patent matters.

You may also view and download historical roster books published since 1883.

E-mail:   [email protected]
Fax:        (571) 273-0074 
Mail:      Mail Stop OED, United States Patent and Trademark Office
              P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

The OED office hours are from 8:30am to 4:00pm (Monday – Friday).