What are the requirements for an S-signature in patent correspondence?

An S-signature must meet the following requirements:

• It must be inserted between two forward slash marks.
• It can only consist of letters, Arabic numerals, or both, with appropriate spaces and punctuation.
• The signer must insert their own S-signature.
• For patent practitioners, the registration number must be included as part of or adjacent to the S-signature.
• The signer’s name must be presented in printed or typed form, preferably immediately below or adjacent to the S-signature.

As stated in 37 CFR 1.4(d)(2)(i): “The S-signature must consist only of letters, or Arabic numerals, or both, with appropriate spaces and commas, periods, apostrophes, or hyphens for punctuation, and the person signing the correspondence must insert his or her own S-signature with a first single forward slash mark before, and a second single forward slash mark after, the S-signature.”

To learn more:

• S-signature
• Electronic Signature
• Patent Correspondence
• Signature Requirements
• Patent Practitioner