TAKEAWAY: The USPTO’s new Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program aims to expedite examination of certain pending utility patent applications that have at most one independent claim and a maximum of ten claims.
The USPTO has announced the start of its Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program in which eligible pending utility patent applications that include at most one independent claim and no more than ten total claims are advanced out of turn for expedited examination. Once a first Office action is issued, the application exits the pilot program and is subject to the usual, non-expedited examination schedule. An applicant may comply with the claim requirement by filing a preliminary amendment before or together with a petition to make special. The USPTO intends for the pilot program to enhance efforts to reduce the agency’s inventory and pendency.
To qualify, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
- file a petition to make special for an original, noncontinuing, utility application that was filed before October 27, 2025;
- pay the corresponding petition fee; and
- certify that no inventor has been named in more than three other nonprovisional patent applications for which a petition to make special under the pilot program has been filed.
The Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program is open only to nonprovisional utility patent applications; national stage applications and design applications are not eligible.
The petition form (PTO/SB/472) is available at the USPTO website.
The Pilot Program began accepting petitions to make special on October 27, 2025, and will continue for one year or until each of the USPTO’s Technology Centers that examines utility applications has received at least 200 applications under the pilot program, whichever occurs first.