MAINTENANCE FEES

Once you obtain a patent, you may need to pay periodic maintenance fees to the U. S. Patent & Trademark Office. They come due about once every four years. To avoid penalties, the fees need to be made within certain 6-month time periods. Do not rely on the Patent Office to send you a bill.

Track your own maintenance fees and pay them yourself online
Free Maintenance Fee Scheduler with e-mail reminders

Here's how some pay their own maintenance fees online (within the allowable payment window):

• https://ramps.uspto.gov/eram/patentMaintFees.do
  
• enter the Patent Number
  
• enter the Application Number (found on front page of your patent)
  
• click on - Retrieve Fees to Pay
  
• click on - the small check box to receive official receipt
  
• click on - Pay Maintenance Fees
  
• click on - Pay by Credit Card, enter credit card info etc.