Can I designate a separate fee address for maintenance fee communications?

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.

Yes, you can designate a separate fee address specifically for maintenance fee communications. This is particularly useful if you want to direct maintenance fee notices to a different address than other patent correspondence.

The MPEP states: “Practitioners of record when the patent issues who do not wish to receive correspondence relating to maintenance fees must change the correspondence address in the patented file or provide a fee address to which such correspondence should be sent.” (MPEP 2542)

To designate a fee address:

1. Use the USPTO form PTO/SB/47 “Fee Address” Indication Form.
2. Submit the completed form to the USPTO, specifying the address for maintenance fee communications.
3. Ensure the form includes the patent number and application number for accurate processing.

By designating a fee address, you can separate maintenance fee correspondence from other patent-related communications, which can be helpful for managing patent portfolios or when working with third-party maintenance fee services.