Subject and Course Guides: Patents and Trademarks: Patent fees and costs

The Cost to Obtain a Patent

There are many factors which impact the cost to file and obtain a U.S. patent. The basic fees are (from the USPTO FAQ page):

There are three basic fees for utility patents:

The filing fee, which is non-refundable whether or not a patent is granted. (This is the cost to have your invention "examined" by the US Patent and Trademark Office - remember, you may or may not get a patent!)
The issue fee (you pay this only if your application is allowed)
Maintenance fees (paid at 3 1/2, 7 1/2, and 11 1/2 years after your patent is granted - these fees "maintain" your legal protection).
Additional fees may be required.

For further information we recommend you contact the USPTO Contact Center at (571) 272-1000 or (800) 786-9199.

Current Trademark Fee Schedule
In the fee schedule there are three columns: Fees, small entity fees (50% of the regular fee), and micro-entity fees (75% of the regular fee). If you are an individual inventor or own a small business, you may qualify for the discounted fees. Determining if you qualify, however, may be complicated.
Am I entitled to Small Entity or Micro Entity fee status? (Brown & Michaels)
The Cost of Obtaining a Patent in the US
IP Watchdog provides an overview of the costs in filing and obtaining a U.S. patent including estimated patent attorney fees.