Patent deadline calculator
Enter the filing date of your earliest application, such as a provisional, to see the dates that follow.
- Nonprovisional and PCT deadline12 months
File to keep your priority date (35 U.S.C. 119). This is also the Paris Convention deadline for filing abroad.
- Publication18 months
Applications are generally published about 18 months after the earliest priority date, unless a US nonpublication request applies.
- PCT national phase30 months
The usual deadline to enter national phase, including the US. Some offices allow longer: the European Patent Office allows 31 months.
These are general dates, not legal advice. Confirm every deadline with a registered patent attorney or agent, because a missed date can permanently cost you rights.
Common questions
- When does a provisional patent expire?
- 12 months after its filing date. To keep the priority date, file a nonprovisional or PCT application by then.
- What if a deadline falls on a weekend?
- At the USPTO, a deadline that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday moves to the next business day. Other patent offices have their own rules, so don't rely on this for filings abroad.
- When is the PCT national phase deadline?
- Usually 30 months from the earliest priority date, though some offices allow 31 months or more.
Budgeting for those dates? Try the patent fee calculator or read about global filing strategy.