USPTO Patent Public Search
Inspect US patents and published applications through the issuing office’s search tools.
Explore the original source- Published by
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Getting in
- Free public search; filing systems and other services have separate access rules.
- What you can work with
- Searchable text · Document images · PDF
- Links and access checked
A good place to start
Use Basic Search with folding AND bicycle, or look up a US publication number found in Google Patents.
What you can find
The USPTO's Patent Public Search provides an official route to US patents and published applications. Basic Search supports a number lookup and a small keyword form. The quick reference guide explains how the form searches its collections and how to format publication numbers.
Try this first
Enter “folding” in one Basic Search box and “bicycle” in the other, joined by AND. Or carry a US number from Google Patents into the number lookup. Compare the title, inventor names, dates, and drawing with the other portal. Keep both identifiers if the application publication and grant have different numbers.
Access and reuse
Public searching is free. The USPTO website terms address reuse and exceptions. A document being readable does not remove patent rights or grant a license to use an invention. A beginner's search is also not evidence that no relevant rights exist.
Provenance
Treat the issuing office record as an important checkpoint in your trail. Record the exact document type and number rather than just a title. When questions turn to legal status or commercialization, the necessary inquiry goes beyond a search-result page and this exploratory activity.
What to watch for
- Published applications and granted patents are different records.
- Search results do not establish freedom to operate.
- Unpublished applications are not a complete public search collection.