How to Check Indian Patent Application Status: InPASS, E-Register and Every Status
A step-by-step way to track an Indian patent application on InPASS and the E-register, what each status means, and the deadline that sits behind it. Last verified October 2026.
How-To · Patent Status · Last verified October 2026
Most patent applicants in India do not know where their application stands, and a missed step can cost them the patent. The status shown on the IP India portal is only a label. Behind every label there is a deadline, and some of those deadlines cannot be undone. This guide shows how to check status on InPASS and the E-register, and what to do next for each status. Last verified October 2026.
- Where to check: InPASS (Application Status and E-register tabs) on the IP India portal, free and public.
- Publication: 18 months from the priority date under s.11A, or earlier on request.
- Request for examination: 31 months from earliest priority for applications filed on or after 15 March 2024, 48 months for earlier ones.
- InPASS limit: a search returns at most 1,000 records, so narrow broad searches.
- Last verified: October 2026.
01Why status checks go wrong
A patent status check fails when the applicant reads the label but ignores the clock behind it. In India the clocks are strict, and several of them are set by the Patents Act itself.
The label is not the deadline
A status such as “Published” or “Request for Examination Filed” tells you what happened. It does not tell you what you must do next, or by when. You have to link the status to the section of the Act yourself.
Several fixed periods run together
Publication, request for examination, reply to the first examination report and opposition windows all run on different start dates. Some start from the priority date, some from the filing date, and some from the date the report was issued. Mixing them up is the most common error.
The portal has limits
InPASS is free and public, but it caps search results and shows only what IP India has uploaded. A record can lag behind what actually happened at the office.
Every patent status has a deadline behind it. Read the status, then find the clock.
02Before you start: what you need
You need only one identifier to start, but having two makes the check faster and safer.
- Application number: the number given at filing (for example a year-based number from the Indian Patent Office). This is the most reliable key.
- Patent number: only if the patent is already granted.
- Applicant name, title or IPC class: useful when you do not have the number, but these searches return many records.
InPASS is the Indian Patent Advanced Search System run by IP India. It has tabs for Patent Search, Patent E-register and Application Status. No login is needed for public search.
03Step by step: check status on InPASS
The fastest check is the Application Status tab, using the application number.
- Open InPASS on the official IP India portal. See the IP India website for the current link.
- Choose the Application Status tab. Enter the application number and complete the captcha.
- Read the status line. Note the filing date, the priority date if any, and the stage shown.
- Open the E-register for the same application. It shows the history of actions and fees recorded against the application.
- Match the stage to the table below and put the next deadline in your calendar the same day.
If you do not have the number
Use the Patent Search tab. Search by applicant name, title keywords or IPC class. InPASS caps results at 1,000 records per query, so a broad search will be cut off silently. Narrow it with a filing year, a publication date range, or an IPC subgroup. Search the applicant name on its own, then combine with keywords.
04Status to deadline table
This table links the main statuses you will see on InPASS and the E-register to the legal step and the period behind it. It is a guide for reading status, not legal advice. Always confirm the exact period against the Patents Act, 1970 and the Patents Rules, 2003 as amended, because periods differ for older filings.
| Status seen on InPASS / E-register | What it means | Legal basis | What to do and by when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filed / Application received | Application is on record but not yet public. | Patents Act, 1970, s.7 and s.9 (filing; complete specification) | If you filed a provisional, file the complete specification within 12 months. Check the date. |
| Published (s.11A) | Application is made public in the Patent Office Journal. | s.11A: publication after 18 months from the priority date, or earlier on request (Rule 24A, Form 9) | Pre-grant opposition is open to others from publication. File the request for examination if you have not. |
| Request for Examination (RFE) filed | Applicant has asked for examination. | s.11B, Form 18 | For applications filed after 15 March 2024, the window is 31 months from the earliest priority date. For earlier filings the older 48 months applies. Miss it and the application is treated as withdrawn. |
| Referred to Examiner | The application is in the queue for examination. | s.12 | No action is needed from you. Watch for the report. |
| FER issued | First Examination Report sets out objections. | s.12, s.13; reply with Form 3 and amendments as needed | Reply within the period in the Rules (3 months, extendable by 3 more on request). Then put the application in order within 12 months of the FER date. |
| Hearing notice | Controller has called a hearing. | s.14 and Rule 129A | Reply in writing or attend. Written submissions are usually due within a short set period after the hearing. |
| Granted | Patent is granted and recorded. | s.43 | Post-grant opposition window of 12 months from publication of grant (s.25(2)). Start paying renewal fees on time (s.53). |
| Refused / Abandoned / Treated as withdrawn | Application has ended. | Various, including s.21 and s.11B | Check the date carefully. Appeal and restoration windows are short. |
Note that the 31 month window applies to applications filed on or after 15 March 2024, when the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024 took effect. For earlier applications the old 48 month period continues.
05Reading the E-register
The E-register is the official record of what has happened to a published or granted patent, and it is more useful than the headline status.
For a granted patent, it shows the owner, the grant date, renewal fee payments and any recorded assignments or licences. For a pending application, the application status page and the journal entries are your main sources.
- Check the dates: filing date, priority date, publication date and grant date. All later deadlines are counted from one of these.
- Check fee payments: a lapse for non-payment of renewal fees is recorded here.
- Check for opposition: a pending opposition is a different track from the application itself.
Remember that the register may lag. If a deadline is close, confirm with your patent agent or by checking documents in the file, not only the status page.
06Common mistakes when tracking patent status
- Counting from the filing date instead of the priority date. Publication and the request for examination period both start from the earliest priority date.
- Using the old 48 month RFE period for a new filing. Applications filed after 15 March 2024 follow 31 months.
- Trusting a broad InPASS search. The 1,000 record cap can hide the record you need.
- Ignoring the Journal. Publication and many notices appear there first.
- Treating a status page as the whole file. Orders, hearing notices and replies are in the documents, not on the label.
For a full deadline view across the patent life cycle, see our Indian patent deadline master calendar.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Tracking an application is a registry job, but the rights it grants are enforced in court. Claw tracks cases, orders and hearings across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with 30 crore+ judgments and results in under 5 seconds, and carries Supreme Court judgments from 1950 and High Court judgments from 1990, so you can read how courts have decided patent and infringement matters. Claw does not use your case documents to train its AI models.
Create a FREE Claw account to search patent-related court matters by party or advocate name. To search the wider body of law across India, see case search across Indian courts.
08Sources and further reading
Always confirm periods and forms against these primary sources. Last verified October 2026.
- IP India (Indian Patent Office): ipindia.gov.in
- InPASS public search: iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in
- The Patents Act, 1970 (India Code): indiacode.nic.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Vendors named are for context only.
09Frequently asked questions
How do I check the status of my patent application in India?
Open InPASS on the IP India portal, choose the Application Status tab and enter your application number. Then open the E-register for the full history. The service is free and needs no login for public search.
What is InPASS?
InPASS is the Indian Patent Advanced Search System run by IP India. It lets you search published and granted Indian patents, view the E-register and check application status. It only holds records for Indian filings.
Why does my InPASS search show only 1,000 results?
InPASS caps each query at 1,000 records. If your search hits the cap, narrow it by filing year, publication date range, IPC subgroup or applicant name, and run several smaller searches.
When is a patent application published in India?
Under s.11A of the Patents Act, an application is generally published 18 months from the priority date. An applicant can ask for earlier publication. Pre-grant opposition becomes possible from publication.
How long do I have to file the request for examination?
For applications filed on or after 15 March 2024, the request must be made within 31 months from the earliest priority date. For earlier applications the period is 48 months. Missing it means the application is treated as withdrawn.
Can Claw track my patent application status?
Yes. Claw's IPR Solutions tab tracks IP India registry matters including patents, with pending compliances such as annuity and response deadlines and pending hearings. It does not track copyright registration. IP tracking is part of the Premium and Enterprise plans.