How should claims be numbered in an Article 19 amendment?

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.

When submitting an Article 19 amendment, proper numbering of claims is important. The MPEP provides guidance on this matter: All the claims appearing on a replacement sheet must be numbered in Arabic numerals (corresponding to the order of the claims). Where a claim is cancelled, no renumbering of the other claims is required. However, where the applicant does renumber claims, they must be renumbered consecutively. This means that while you don’t have to renumber claims if you cancel one, any renumbering must be done consecutively in Arabic numerals.