How can I change my entity status for maintenance fee payments?

To change your entity status for maintenance fee payments, you have several options:

1. For payments by mail, facsimile, or hand delivery: Include a paper changing the entity status with your maintenance fee payment.
2. For online payments: Change your entity status before submitting the payment. MPEP 2550 suggests:

“Before submitting a payment via the Patent Maintenance Fees Storefront in an entity status different from the entity status of record, it is suggested that the entity status entitlement document […] be filed by either making the entity status change via Private PAIR using the “Update” Entity Status feature or faxing the document to 571-273-6500 (the maintenance fee transmittal fax number).”

To change entity status via Private PAIR, you must meet certain requirements, including being a registered patent attorney/agent or independent inventor and having a USPTO.gov account with two-step authentication.

To learn more:

• entity status change
• maintenance fees
• patent fees
• Private PAIR