"How much does a provisional patent cost?" has a frustrating answer: it depends. The government fee is small, but the real total depends on how you prepare the application. Here's the full breakdown so there are no surprises.
The one fixed cost: the USPTO fee
Every provisional includes a government filing fee paid directly to the USPTO. It's tiered by entity status: micro entity pays the least (often around $65), small entity pays roughly double that, and large entity pays the full amount. Most independent inventors and early founders qualify as micro entities. (Always check current USPTO fees — they change.)
The variable cost: preparing the application
This is where the total really swings — from nearly nothing to several thousand dollars, depending on who does the work.
Numbers are illustrative and vary by complexity and provider.
- Drawings. If you pay a draftsperson for figures, that's extra — though clear self-made or AI-generated sketches are usually fine for a provisional.
- The conversion. The provisional is only step one; filing the full utility patent within 12 months is a much larger cost to budget for.
- Prior-art searching. Optional, but professional searches add cost if you want extra confidence.
So, the all-in number
For a typical micro-entity inventor filing a provisional themselves with a little help, you're realistically looking at the USPTO fee plus a couple hundred dollars for preparation — a fraction of the multiple thousands an attorney-drafted filing runs. The provisional is designed to be the affordable entry point; the bigger spend, if it comes, is the full utility patent later.
This is general information, not legal advice. Specific cases can differ.
Know your total before you file
AutoInvent keeps the preparation cost predictable and low — it turns your idea into patent-style text and sketches and guides you step-by-step through filing your provisional yourself with the USPTO: idea to filed provisional in under 10 minutes, for a couple hundred dollars plus the USPTO fee. No surprise invoices, no hourly billing.