Protect your work now, finish your patent later
Take time to create while keeping competitors at bay. Market your invention as
"patent pending" by filing a provisional application. Starts at $199.
We do right by you
We will refund our fee within the first 60 days if you are not satisfied with our services.

Why start a provisional patent application

Get ahead of competitors

Hold your place in line with the USPTO to make sure no one gets the rights to your patent by filing before you.

Promote as "patent pending"

Get the ability to label and market your invention as "patent pending" right away.

Secure a priority filing date

Establish a filing date before others—good for one year—and get time to complete your invention and utility patent application.

How to apply:

  1. Step 1
    Answer important questions about your invention

    We'll walk you through the application process step by step.

  2. Step 2
    Provide everything yourself or get help from a pro

    You'll have the option to work with an illustrator to create technical drawings as well as an experienced specialist to prepare the application.

  3. Step 3
    We'll e-file your application

    We'll submit your completed application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

File a Provisional Patent Application

BASIC

$199

+$60 Govt Fee*

'PATENT PENDING' STATUS FOR 12 MONTHS

PREPARED AND FILED BY A PATENT PROFESSIONAL

Get Basic
POPULAR

PROFESSIONAL

$799

+$60 Govt Fee*

'PATENT PENDING' STATUS FOR 12 MONTHS

PROFESSIONALLY DRAFTED PATENT WRITINGSEE SAMPLE

PROFESSIONALLY DRAFTED PATENT DRAWINGS SEE SAMPLE

PREPARED AND FILED BY A PATENT PROFESSIONAL

Get Professional

ESSENTIALS

$499

+$60 Govt Fee*

'PATENT PENDING' STATUS FOR 12 MONTHS

PROFESSIONALLY DRAFTED PATENT DRAWINGSSEE SAMPLE

PREPARED AND FILED BY A PATENT PROFESSIONAL

Get Essentials

*$60 govt fee assumes you are classified as "micro entity" by USPTO. If you have filed more than 4 non-provisional patent apps in the past, or have an annual income of greater than $223,740, you may be classified as "small entity" which requires a $120 govt fee.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I file a provisional patent application?
A provisional patent application protects your rights to your invention for up to a year—giving you time to perfect it, and complete your application for a utility patent. It essentially holds your place in line with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office so no one else can get the rights to the invention by filing a patent before you.
What info do I need to provide to file a provisional application?
We'll help you through the application process to make sure you understand and provide what's required. Here's some of the important info we'll need:
  • Title of the invention
  • Names and addresses of all inventors
  • Correspondence address
  • U.S. government interest/ownership (if applicable)
  • Background of the invention
  • Summary of the invention
  • Detailed description of the invention
  • Drawings of the invention (optional but highly recommended)
Once I file a provisional application, how long do I have to finish my patent?
You'll have one year from the date your provisional application is filed to finish your official utility patent application. You cannot extend this time or file another provisional application for the same invention.
Can I file a provisional application for a design patent?
No, provisional applications are for utility patents only.
What's the difference between a utility patent and a design patent?
A utility patent protects how an invention works. A design patent protects how a product looks. Some inventions may qualify for design and utility patent protection, if both the design and the function are unique, and the design doesn't affect the function.

Verified Reviews on the Internet

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Doing a great job. We are creating new products and will continue to use LegalHoop to handle our trademarks.
Nestor Segura
Great work
The agent was knowledgeable and very helpful. Furthermore, the price was good.
Patrick O
LegalHoop helped me file my response to ...
LegalHoop helped me file my response to an “Office Action” to the USPTO. They were timely, efficient, and professional. I would most definitely use them again and I will certainly refer them to potential users in both my personal and professional circles!
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Super fast service
Super fast service. Convenient and easy to submit and get great results, thanks.
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Very responsive
Very responsive. Understood the issues, presented options, and professionally went about resolving my issues. Great value and helpful.
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Trademark
Legal Hoop responded within minutes of my request. They refiled my trademark the next day and I heard back from USTPO within 24 hours. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is needing trademark or business licensing.
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The rep was very responsive. Always kept me in the loop. Also the price was reasonable. They gave me hope when other companies wanted to charge outrageous prices as they told me to give up on sending in a trademark dispute.
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OVER 2500+ OBTAINED PATENTS

Our patent professionals have worked on over 2500+ granted patents
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Should I Request A Patent Search?

It's the first step before a patent application! First, you learn how patentable your invention may be.

If it's not very patentable, don't waste time and money on a patent application. Second, it may help you increase your patentability.

By seeing what is similar, you can improve your invention around other existing inventions and increase patentability.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PATENT SEARCH

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Our refund policy:

We do right by you—so we'll refund our fee within the first 60 days of purchase if you're unhappy with our services. Call or email us, and we'll process your refund within 5 business days.

What it doesn't cover:

We can't refund third-party processing fees (e.g. paid directly to our service partners or to facilitate fulfilling your order like courier fees) once you make a purchase. And, we can't refund filing fees once we submit your paperwork to the government.

When it applies:

We can't guarantee specific legal outcomes when you use our products or services. For example, a trademark application might be filled out correctly but still get rejected by the government for reasons beyond our control. We can only refund our fee for issues we're directly responsible for. So if you purchase something and later change your mind, we can't issue a refund.

Provisional patent application

$ 199 + govt fee
Govt fee vary by entity type: micro ($), small ($), and large ($). Most file as micro or small. We'll help determine your type once you start.
  • Peace of Mind Review

    Our in-house team will carefully review your answers and searching for consistencies and omissions that might delay the completion of the order.

  • Filing of Your Application

    We will prepare and submit your application to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • Lifetime Customer Support

    Our customer support team is standing by to answer your questions and will still be there for you even after we submit your application.

Additional fee of $690 for a chemical composition or biological/biotechnological invention. Includes review and preparation by an experienced patent agent.