Are provisional patent applications assigned to examiners?
No, provisional patent applications are not assigned to examiners for examination. MPEP 504 explicitly states: “Provisional applications will not be examined.” This is because provisional applications are primarily used to establish a priority date and are not subject to substantive examination.
Topics:
MPEP 500 - Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers,
MPEP 504 - Assignment of Application for Examination,
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure