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ALERT: Create Login to US Patent Office Portal BEFORE Deadlines

Timothy Snowden, CPP CLP

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Effective TODAY (September 12, 2025), access to USPTO’s Patent Center now requires a verified USPTO.gov account login.

What’s changed?

The USPTO is phasing out “public” or guest access to certain Patent Center features. Now users MUST to sign in with their USPTO.gov credentials to file, manage, or view private documents. This means that emergency / guest filing online is no longer available, as PatentCenter is the ONLY portal by which filing can be completed online. Fax filing and filing by USPS Priority Mail remains an option, but each have specific requirements and long processing delays are being reported.

Search functions are still available through the (rather complicated interface) of the Patent Public Search tool. Publicly available file wrappers appear to still be accessible without login via the Open Data Portal (ODP) Patent File Wrapper tool.

Who is Affected?

  • Patent practitioners, applicants, and support staff who file or manage applications.
  • Anyone accessing private PAIR data or documents.
  • Pro se inventors who have been used to filing without a login

What to do now:

  1. Create a USPTO.gov account if you don’t already have one. You can begin the account creation process by visiting PatentCenter.USPTO.gov and clicking “Obtain Patent Center account.”
  1. Complete identity verification (required for practitioners and those needing secure access).
  2. Link your account to your customer number in Patent Center.
  3. Test your login before you need it (e.g., before upcoming deadlines) to avoid delays in filing or document access.

Why it matters:

Failure to update your login credentials could prevent you from filing or viewing critical documents. If you need rapid access to your documents, or have questions, please contact your registered patent practitioner, or a US-registered practitioner member of Synchrony IP.

Author

  • Timothy D. Snowden is a Certified Patent Practitioner and Certified Licensing Professional with over a decade of experience guiding innovators in building and monetizing high-value patent portfolios. As Founder and Principal of Definitive Patents and a Founding Member of Synchrony IP, he has successfully led patent prosecution and portfolio development for startups, family businesses, and publicly traded companies across industries including medical devices, agriculture, software, and advanced engineering. A magna cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University in Biomedical Engineering, Snowden combines technical expertise with strategic business insight to help entrepreneurs secure patents tightly aligned with commercial goals. He has served as Patent Prosecution Chair at a boutique firm, earned commendation from the Patent Trials and Appeal Board, and continues to shape the profession as a Director with the National Council on Patent Practicum. His mission is to empower innovators worldwide with creative patent strategies that transform inventions into marketable assets.
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Timothy Snowden, CPP CLP

Timothy D. Snowden is a Certified Patent Practitioner and Certified Licensing Professional with over a decade of experience guiding innovators in building and monetizing high-value patent portfolios. As Founder and Principal of Definitive Patents and a Founding Member of Synchrony IP, he has successfully led patent prosecution and portfolio development for startups, family businesses, and publicly traded companies across industries including medical devices, agriculture, software, and advanced engineering. A magna cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University in Biomedical Engineering, Snowden combines technical expertise with strategic business insight to help entrepreneurs secure patents tightly aligned with commercial goals. He has served as Patent Prosecution Chair at a boutique firm, earned commendation from the Patent Trials and Appeal Board, and continues to shape the profession as a Director with the National Council on Patent Practicum. His mission is to empower innovators worldwide with creative patent strategies that transform inventions into marketable assets.

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