What are the requirements for submitting an assignment document electronically to 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.

To submit an assignment document electronically to the USPTO, the following requirements must be met:

• The document must be submitted via the Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS)
• An identified application or patent number must be included
• One cover sheet must be completed online to record a single transaction
• The signature on the cover sheet must comply with 37 CFR 3.31(a)(7) or 37 CFR 1.4(d)(2)

As stated in 37 CFR 1.4(d)(2), an S-signature may be used, which consists of letters and/or numbers between forward slashes (e.g., /John Doe/). For patent practitioners, their registration number must also be included.