Micro entity
Eligibility requirements apply
$65
Provisional patent cost · 2026
How much does a provisional patent cost?
The government filing fee can be as low as $65 for an eligible micro entity. Your total depends on who prepares the application and how much review you need. Compare four practical paths before you spend.
Government fees paid separately · Current fees shown as of July 2026
✓$65 / $130 / $325 current USPTO fee
◐$599 guided drafting
◇$1,399 with attorney review
First-step cost comparison
202601
DIY
$65–$325
USPTO fee only
02
AI-assisted
$599 + fee
Structured first draft
03
Attorney-reviewed
$1,399 + fee
Defined legal feedback
04
Traditional counsel
$2k–$6k+
Varies by scope
Compare the work included—not just the filing fee.
The short answer
The filing fee is only one part of the cost.
A provisional application can cost anywhere from the USPTO filing fee alone to several thousand dollars in professional fees. The right number depends on who prepares the disclosure, how much review you need, and what is at stake.
Patent Pending Made Simple provides a middle path: structured, attorney-designed drafting from $599 per application, with optional licensed-attorney review and filing support.
| Preparation path | Preparation cost | USPTO fee | Who drafts | Legal review | Who files | Often fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY | $0 professional fee | $65 / $130 / $325 | You | None | You | Straightforward, lower-stakes inventions when you have time to study the process and accept the risk. |
| AI-assisted Self-ServePopular starting point | $599 | Separate | Eight-agent guided workflow; you review and edit | Not included | You, with tutorials | Inventors who want structured drafting without beginning with a full legal engagement. |
| AI + Attorney Review | $1,399 | Separate | Eight-agent workflow | 45-minute strategy call + 1 hour of draft feedback | You | Inventors who want defined licensed-attorney feedback before filing. |
| Traditional attorney-led | $2,000–$6,000+ | Usually separate | Patent attorney or agent | Direct practitioner involvement | Defined by engagement | Complex, high-value, urgent, disputed, international, or strategy-sensitive matters. |
Traditional attorney fees are often quoted around $2,000–$6,000+ for provisional preparation, but vary widely by complexity, technical field, practitioner, drawings, search work, and engagement scope. This is a planning range—not a universal market price.
Compare plans ↓Current USPTO filing fee
$65 can open the filing. It does not prepare it.
The government fee does not pay someone to interview you, develop the disclosure, prepare drawings, check technical details, give legal advice, or plan the later nonprovisional application.
A successful submission confirms receipt. A provisional application is not examined and does not itself become an issued patent.
Small entity
Status must be established
$130
Large entity
Undiscounted filing fee
$325
Fees current as of July 2026 and subject to change. Confirm eligibility and the current schedule before filing.
Price is only one variable
Choose support based on the risk.
The lowest upfront price is not always the lowest-risk decision. Match the help level to the facts, deadline, and commercial stakes.
Lowest cash cost
File it yourself
DIY may fit when the invention is straightforward, ownership is clear, no urgent disclosure deadline is approaching, and you have time to study and verify every part of the submission.
Structured first draft
Use guided drafting
AI-assisted drafting may fit when you can explain how the invention works but need help organizing the components, operation, alternatives, and supporting detail into an editable draft.
Defined legal feedback
Add attorney review
Choose a review plan when you want a licensed practitioner to discuss strategy and provide feedback on the draft before you decide to file.
Higher-stakes facts
Work directly with counsel
Bring in counsel now when ownership is unclear, a disclosure or deadline is close, foreign rights matter, or the invention is central to financing, licensing, or a valuable company.
Calculator preview
See the full cost path—once the assumptions are approved.
The planned calculator will separate the first filing from optional professional work and later patent stages. Attorney review is pending, so it does not produce personalized estimates yet.
Compare verified pricesPatent cost estimate
Review pendingInput 01
Entity status
Input 02
Drafting support
Input 03
Search & drawings
Input 04
Filing support
Input 05
Later nonprovisional path
Estimate locked
Use the verified first-step prices on this page for now.
Attorney-designed from the start
“Great attorneys are worth every penny—when the timing is right. This is for the moment before that’s true.”
Samar Shah
Practicing patent attorney and founder
Choose your level of support
Start your provisional patent application from $599.
Every plan uses the same eight-agent drafting workflow. Choose whether you want to file yourself, add attorney review, or have filing handled for you.
Self-Serve
AI-powered · You file
$599per application
Eight AI agents draft your provisional patent application. Review, refine, export, and file it yourself with step-by-step video tutorials.
Start for $599- 8-agent AI drafting pipeline
- Upload transcript, doc, or describe in plain English
- Regenerate any section unlimited times
- USPTO-ready Word document export
- Step-by-step filing video tutorials
- Software & apparatus patent types
- Patent attorney review & feedback
- Paralegal filing with USPTO
AI + Attorney Review
Attorney reviews, you file
$1,399per application
Everything in Self-Serve, plus a licensed patent attorney provides: strategic guidance on a 45-min call, and feedback your AI-generated draft (1-hour).
Add attorney review- 8-agent AI drafting pipeline
- Upload transcript, doc, or describe in plain English
- Regenerate any section unlimited times
- USPTO-ready Word document export
- Step-by-step filing video tutorials
- Software & apparatus patent types
- Patent attorney review & feedback
- Paralegal filing with USPTO
White Glove
Attorney reviews, we file
$1,599per application
Everything in AI + Attorney Review, plus a paralegal files the application with the USPTO on your behalf.
Choose White Glove- 8-agent AI drafting pipeline
- Upload transcript, doc, or describe in plain English
- Regenerate any section unlimited times
- USPTO-ready Word document export
- Step-by-step filing video tutorials
- Software & apparatus patent types
- Patent attorney review & feedback
- Paralegal filing with USPTO
Government filing fees are paid separately to the USPTO and currently vary by entity status.
Related guides
Turn the price into a complete plan.
Compare the first filing cost with the preparation choices and later decisions that affect the total patent path.
CalculatorRead →
Model the full patent lifecycle
Estimate filing, drafting, search, prosecution, issue, and maintenance stages.
Budget guideRead →
Build a staged patent budget
Separate the first filing from prosecution, issue, maintenance, and optional international costs.
Search costsRead →
Understand patent-search costs
Compare free searching with professional search ranges and decision points.
Review optionRead →
See the attorney-review plan
Review the $1,399 scope, strategy call, drafting workflow, and attorney feedback.
Questions before you spend
Clear answers about the fee, the draft, and what comes next.
Is a provisional patent application really only $65?+
$65 is the current USPTO filing fee for an applicant who qualifies as a micro entity. It does not include drafting, drawings, searching, legal review, or filing assistance. The current small-entity and large-entity fees are $130 and $325.
Can I file a provisional application myself?+
Yes. The USPTO permits inventors to file without a patent attorney or agent. You remain responsible for the technical disclosure, figures, inventor information, submission, payment, and recordkeeping.
What is included in the $599 plan?+
The Self-Serve plan uses an eight-agent workflow to draft a structured provisional application. You can review and edit sections, export the document to Word, and follow filing tutorials. Attorney review and government fees are not included.
When should I pay for attorney review?+
Consider attorney review when commercial stakes, ownership, disclosure timing, international plans, deadlines, or legal strategy make an unsupported filing decision risky.
Does a provisional application become a patent?+
No. A provisional application is not examined and does not mature into a patent by itself. To preserve its filing-date benefit for supported subject matter, an inventor generally needs to file a corresponding nonprovisional application within 12 months.
Self-Serve · $599 per application
Start with the support level that fits this stage.
Build a structured, editable provisional patent application draft, then add attorney review or filing support if you need it.
Government fees are separate. Patent Pending Made Simple supports drafting and preparation; it does not replace legal advice for your specific situation. Patent-pending status begins after filing with the USPTO.