How can I check the maintenance fee payment status of a patent?

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.

There are two primary methods to check the maintenance fee payment status of a patent:

1. Online: Visit the USPTO’s Maintenance Fee webpage. Enter the patent number and corresponding application number in the appropriate fields.
2. By Phone: Call the USPTO’s Maintenance Fee Branch. Note that telephone status requests are limited to two patent numbers per call.

As stated in the MPEP: “Maintenance fee status information for a patent of interest can be obtained over the internet by entering the patent number and the corresponding application number in the appropriate spaces on the webpage available at https://fees.uspto.gov/MaintenanceFees.”