How are documents with other deficiencies handled by the USPTO?

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.

Documents that don’t meet other recording requirements, such as missing a completed cover sheet or required fee, are handled differently by the USPTO. According to the MPEP, “Documents not meeting the other requirements for recording, for example, a document submitted without a completed cover sheet or without the required fee, will be returned for correction to the sender where a correspondence address is available.” This means that unlike documents with identification issues, these documents are returned to the sender for correction, provided a correspondence address is available.