Provisional Patent Application

You must file a full non-provisional patent application claiming priority back to your provisional's filing date, or the provisional simply expires with no patent resulting. That non-provisional filing is a separate, more complex process we'd recommend an experienced patent attorney handle.

Not always required for a provisional, but strongly recommended for anything mechanical, structural or visual — the Premium tier includes formal drawing preparation from your sketches or photos.

The provisional filing starts your "patent pending" clock, but public disclosure or sale can still affect your rights in other countries (most of which require absolute novelty), so we'd recommend confirming your plans with a patent attorney if international protection matters to you.

The USPTO charges different fees for micro, small and large entities based on your income, prior patents and business size — we'll help you identify which category applies before filing.

For a straightforward provisional filing establishing an early date, this self-help service works well for many inventors. For inventions with real commercial stakes, or once you're ready for the full non-provisional application, we'd strongly recommend a registered patent attorney — patent claim drafting is genuinely specialized legal work.