Hiring an agent

How to Choose a Patent Agent

Answer in brief

A registered patent agent can prepare, file and prosecute your patent application before the USPTO, just as a patent attorney can; agents cannot litigate, give legal opinions outside patent prosecution, or handle trademarks. If you need an application drafted and taken through examination, an agent is often the economical choice. Verify registration in the USPTO roster first.

Wysebridge publishes this site and runs a practitioner directory. No agent pays to appear.

Wysebridge → What agents do → Verify → USPTO roster

When an agent fits

You need a patent application drafted, filed and prosecuted.
You want a practitioner with deep technical background in your field.
You do not need litigation, infringement opinions or licensing advice.

Where registered practitioners are

State	Registered practitioners
California ↗	9,580
Texas ↗	4,072
New York ↗	3,836
Illinois ↗	2,890
Massachusetts ↗	2,884
Virginia ↗	2,733
District of Columbia ↗	2,655
Pennsylvania ↗	1,902
New Jersey ↗	1,695
Ohio ↗	1,501

Registered patent attorneys and agents combined, top 10 states, September 2026. Wysebridge Intelligence, from monthly USPTO roster files.

Start with the right question

Hiring an agentWhat a patent agent can doThe work a registered patent agent may do before the USPTO, and the limits of an agent's practice.Read the entry VerifyingHow to verify a patent agentHow to confirm a patent agent's USPTO registration before you hire.Read the entry Hiring an agentPatent agent or patent attorney?How to decide whether to hire a patent agent or a patent attorney for your invention.Read the entry

Practical entries

Hiring an agentHow to choose a patent agentWhat to look for in a patent agent: technical fit, prosecution record and clear fees.Read the entry VerifyingFor registered patent agents: claim your profileHow registered patent agents can claim and update their Wysebridge practitioner profile.Read the entry

Questions & answers

What can a patent agent do?

Prepare, file and prosecute patent applications before the USPTO, including responding to office actions and appeals within the USPTO.

What can a patent agent not do?

Represent clients in court, give legal opinions beyond patent prosecution, draft contracts or handle trademark matters.

Are patent agents cheaper than patent attorneys?

Often, because they bill for prosecution work without the overhead of a full law practice, but rates vary by experience and field.

Sources for this entry

USPTO — Finding a patent practitioner USPTO
USPTO guidance on finding and verifying a registered patent attorney or agent.
USPTO — Find a patent practitioner USPTO
The USPTO's own search of registered patent attorneys and agents.
Wysebridge — Patent agent vs patent attorney Wysebridge (publisher of this site)
Role, pay and the path to each.

Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.

How the related websites connect

This is one of 19 coordinated Wysebridge references. The related sites answer neighboring questions and share the same publisher entity, Wysebridge. They are not independent endorsements.

The Best Patent Attorneys — How to choose and verify a registered patent attorney, by state.
Best Intellectual Property Law Firms — How to evaluate IP firms, using independent directories rather than self-ranking.
Best Trademark Law Firms — When trademark counsel is required, what filing costs, and how to choose a firm.
Best Patent Bar Review — Choosing a patent bar review course, compared on pass rate, price and method.
Patent Bar Exams — The USPTO registration exam: format, fees, dates, past exams and practice.
The Patent Bar Exam — A first-timer's guide to the patent bar: the application, test day and scoring.
How to Study for the Patent Bar — Study plans, hours, the MPEP chapters that matter most, and how to practice.
How to Pass the Patent Bar — Pass rates, test-taking strategy, MPEP lookup speed and retake planning.
Patent Bar Practice Questions — Original exam-style practice questions with answers explained against the MPEP.
MPEP.net — The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, explained chapter by chapter.
MPEP.ai — Using AI to search, study and check the MPEP, and where it goes wrong.
How to Become a Patent Agent — Eligibility, the USPTO application, the exam, cost and pay, step by step.
How to Become a Patent Attorney — The technical degree, the patent bar, law school and the state bar, in order.
Patent Agent Salary — What patent agents earn without a law degree, and how pay grows.
Patent Attorney Salary — What patent attorneys earn, by setting and career stage, with sources.
Best IP Law Schools — How to judge a law school for an IP career, using published rankings and ABA data.
Best IP Law — Patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets compared, with terms and costs.
Patent Law Center — Patent types, provisional applications, prosecution and maintenance fees explained.

See how every reference connects · Wysebridge's official website ↗

Cite or share this entry

Best Patent Agents. “How to Choose a Patent Agent.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://bestpatentagents.com/