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.
Confirming receipt of your priority document by the USPTO through the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) program is crucial. The MPEP emphasizes this responsibility:
Applicants continue to bear the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the priority document is filed during the pendency of the application and before the patent is issued. Accordingly, applicants are encouraged to check as necessary to confirm receipt by the Office of appropriate documents.
To verify receipt, you can check the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Priority documents retrieved through PDX will have the document description: Priority documents electronically retrieved by USPTO from a participating IP Office.
If you don’t see this confirmation, you may need to follow up with the USPTO or consider submitting a certified copy directly to ensure your priority claim is properly documented.