What are the requirements for S-signatures in USPTO patent applications?

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.

S-signatures, or electronic signatures, are accepted by the USPTO for patent applications. The requirements for S-signatures include:

• The signature must be between forward slash marks (//).
• The signer’s name must be provided in printed or typed form preferably immediately below or adjacent to the S-signature.
• The S-signature may be any combination of letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks.

The MPEP 402.03 states: An 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 (e.g., /Dr. James T. Jones, Jr./).

It’s important to note that the S-signature must be inserted by the person signing the document, not by someone else on their behalf.