What does Track One cost?
Track One is the USPTO’s prioritized examination program. Two fees are due with the request: the prioritized examination fee and a processing fee (37 CFR 1.17(c), (i)(1)).
| Fee | Large | Small | Micro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prioritized examination · 1.17(c) · 1817 / 2817 / 3817 | $4,515 | $1,806 | $903 |
| Processing · 1.17(i)(1) · 1830 / 2830 / 3830 | $150 | $60 | $30 |
| Together | $4,665 | $1,866 | $933 |
Before Jan 19, 2025 the fee was $4,200 / $1,680 / $840. The USPTO program page still shows those old amounts, and so do most articles that rank for this topic. Use the current fee schedule.
The USPTO accepts up to 20,000 requests per fiscal year. A final rule raised the limit from 15,000, effective Jul 8, 2025 (90 FR 29990).
Can a continuation use Track One?
Yes. Any original utility or plant nonprovisional application under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) qualifies. That includes continuations, divisionals, CIPs and 365(c) bypass continuations (37 CFR 1.102(e)). The conditions:
- The request must be present on filing. You cannot add it to the continuation later.
- File electronically, with the basic filing, search and examination fees paid on filing.
- At most 4 independent claims and 30 total claims, and no multiple dependent claims.
Prioritized examination is also available with a request for continued examination (RCE). It is not available directly to 371 national stage applications (only after an RCE), designs, reissues or provisionals.
Decide before you file
How fast is Track One?
The USPTO goal is a final disposition within 12 months of the grant of prioritized status, on average (program page). Measured results are faster. The Track One dashboard reports these FY2026 averages:
| Interval | Average months |
|---|---|
| Filing to petition grant | 2.04 |
| Petition grant to first action | 1.64 |
| Petition grant to allowance | 4.24 |
| Petition grant to final disposition | 4.93 |
A final disposition is a notice of allowance, a final rejection or an abandonment. Adding the first and last rows gives roughly 7 months from filing to a final disposition. That sum is ours, not a USPTO figure.
What is the Track One allowance rate?
The USPTO does not publish one. Its dashboard counts final dispositions. Over the 12 months to September 2026 it shows 9,123 allowances, 5,432 final rejections and 616 abandonments (dashboard data).
Allowances were about 60% of those final dispositions (our calculation). That is not an allowance rate. Many applications that receive a final rejection are allowed later, after an RCE. Higher rates quoted online come from third-party analytics, not from the USPTO, and we could not check them against a primary source.
What does a Track One continuation cost in USPTO fees?
The table adds the basic filing, search and examination fees, the two Track One fees, and the continuing application fee where it applies. It assumes a utility continuation filed in Patent Center in DOCX, with up to 20 claims and 3 independent claims.
| Item | Large | Small | Micro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic filing, search and examination fees · 1.16(a), (k), (o) | $2,000 | $730 | $400 |
| Track One fee · 1.17(c) | $4,515 | $1,806 | $903 |
| Processing fee · 1.17(i)(1) | $150 | $60 | $30 |
| At filing, earliest benefit date 6 years ago or less | $6,665 | $2,596 | $1,333 |
| Plus continuing application fee, more than 6 to 9 years · 1.17(w)(1) | $2,700 | $1,080 | $540 |
| At filing, more than 6 to 9 years | $9,365 | $3,676 | $1,873 |
| At filing, more than 9 years (CAF $4,000 / $1,600 / $800) | $10,665 | $4,196 | $2,133 |
- The small-entity basic filing fee is $70 when filed electronically, which Track One requires (37 CFR 1.16(a)).
- Using the full Track One allowance of 30 claims and 4 independent claims adds $2,600 large, $1,040 small or $520 micro in excess claim fees ($200 / $80 / $40 per claim over 20, $600 / $240 / $120 per independent claim over 3).
- Filing in a format other than DOCX adds $430 / $172 / $86.
- The issue fee comes later, on allowance: $1,290 / $516 / $258.