Once your description and drawings are ready, actually filing a provisional patent comes down to a handful of steps inside the USPTO's online system, called Patent Center. Here's the whole process, start to finish.
- Your written description of the invention (as a PDF).
- Your drawings or figures (PDF).
- Your entity status — micro, small, or large — which sets your fee.
- A form of payment for the filing fee.
The steps
Create a USPTO account
Register for a free USPTO.gov account and set up access to Patent Center, the office's online filing system. Verifying your account can take a little time, so don't leave it to the last day before a deadline.
Start a new provisional application
In Patent Center, choose to file a new application and select provisional as the type. This tells the system you want a placeholder filing, not a full examined application.
Complete the cover sheet
Fill in the provisional cover sheet (USPTO Form SB/16) with the invention title, inventor name(s), and correspondence details. This is the official record of who filed and what.
Upload your description and drawings
Attach your specification and figures as PDFs. Patent Center will process the documents — make sure the text is legible and the figures are clear, since this is exactly what defines your filing.
Confirm your entity status and pay the fee
Select your entity status (micro entity gets the lowest fee — often around $65, subject to current USPTO fees), then pay online. Choosing the wrong status can mean overpaying or a later correction, so pick carefully.
Submit and save your confirmation
Submit the application, then save your confirmation number, application number, and official filing date. That filing date is the whole point — it's your place in line. Once submitted correctly, your invention is "patent pending."
A provisional isn't examined, so you won't hear back with an approval or rejection. Instead, your 12-month clock starts. Use that year to develop your invention and decide whether to file a full utility application before the deadline to keep your filing date.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file a provisional patent?
The USPTO filing fee depends on your entity size. Micro entities often pay around $65, small entities roughly $130, and large entities more — always check the current USPTO fee schedule, as amounts change. That fee is separate from any service you use to prepare the application.
Can I file a provisional patent myself, without a lawyer?
Yes. You can file a provisional patent directly through the USPTO's Patent Center as the inventor and applicant. A provisional isn't examined, so there's no back-and-forth with an examiner — but the quality of your written description still determines how much protection your filing date actually gives you.
How long does a provisional patent last?
A provisional patent gives you 12 months of "patent pending" status. Before that year is up, you must file a full (non-provisional) utility application to keep the benefit of your original filing date — otherwise the provisional simply expires.
What do I need before I can file?
At minimum: a written description of your invention detailed enough that someone skilled in the field could understand and reproduce it, any drawings or figures needed to explain it, a USPTO.gov account with Patent Center access, and payment for the filing fee.
This is general information, not legal advice. Specific cases can differ.
Skip the portal wrestling
You can absolutely file through Patent Center yourself — but AutoInvent makes each of these steps painless. It turns your idea into patent-style text and sketches, then guides you step-by-step through filing your provisional with the USPTO: idea to filed provisional in under 10 minutes, for a couple hundred dollars plus the USPTO fee. You stay the inventor and applicant the whole way.