Applying for the patent bar
Answer in brief
Apply online to the USPTO's Office of Enrollment and Discipline with an official transcript and the application and exam fees. Once admitted, your notice sets a window to schedule and sit the exam at Prometric, usually about 90 days, temporarily 180 days as of October 2026.
What to send
- The online application.
- Official transcripts showing your qualifying degree or coursework.
- Fees: $118 application and $226 exam.
After admission
- Read your notice of admission for the window dates.
- Book Prometric and pay $221.
- Pick a date that leaves time for full practice exams.
Sources for this entry
- USPTO — Becoming a patent practitioner (General Requirements Bulletin) USPTO
The USPTO's authoritative source for eligibility categories, documents and filing. - Wysebridge — How to apply to the USPTO Wysebridge (publisher of this site)
Step-by-step OED application; Prometric fee $221; registration fee $226 after passing; scheduling window. - 37 CFR 1.21 — Miscellaneous fees (registration of attorneys and agents) eCFR
Official USPTO fee rule: $118 application fee, $226 registration examination fee.
Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.
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The Patent Bar Exam. “Applying for the patent bar.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://thepatentbarexam.com/applying-for-the-patent-bar/