Can a suspended or excluded practitioner continue to receive USPTO correspondence?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

No, a suspended or excluded practitioner is not permitted to receive correspondence from the USPTO regarding patent applications. According to MPEP 407:

A suspended or excluded practitioner is not entitled to receive correspondence from the Office, or have interviews with examiners, in applications or patents.

The USPTO takes the following steps to ensure compliance:

• Correspondence will be sent to the applicant or assignee at their address of record.
• If no practitioner is of record, the correspondence will be sent directly to the applicant or assignee.
• Examiners are instructed not to hold interviews with suspended or excluded practitioners.

For more information on USPTO correspondence, visit: USPTO correspondence.