Paper Copies of US Patents Only Upon Request

Since April 2023, official USPTO patents are electronic rather than paper, and the USPTO has automatically mailed a ceremonial-only paper copy of each patent. Starting March 9, 2026, the automatic mailing ends: if you want a paper copy, you need to request it when paying the issue fee.

Important Reminders

• Delaying filing continuation applications remains risky: as we noted in our 2023 news item, the USPTO warned that timing from issue notification to grant could shorten to under one week, though for now the timing is approximately two weeks
• You may have stopped seeing paper copies already: since they are simply ceremonial, many applicants were letting their firms dispose of the paper copies rather than incurring the expense of mailing them out
• The USPTO will automatically mail a paper copy for any patent where the issue fee was paid before March 9, 2026
• The official electronic patents remain available through the USPTO’s Patent Center at any time

If you have questions about this or any other IP topics, please contact Brandon Griffith or Michael Nye.