How to Cite a Patent in APA 7th Edition

This guide explains how to format a patent citation in APA 7th Edition. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a patent in APA 7th Edition:

Template

Inventor, A. A. (Year). *Title of patent* (Patent No. x,xxx,xxx). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://www.example.com

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Smith, 2022)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Johnson, L. K. (2022). System and method for adaptive neural network training (U.S. Patent No. 11,345,678). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US11345678B2

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the inventor(s)
List the inventor(s) using standard APA name format (Last, Initials). Use the inventor, not the assignee or company.
2
Add the year
Use the year the patent was issued (granted), not the filing date. Place in parentheses.
3
Write the patent title
Italicize the patent title. Use sentence case. Follow with the patent number in parentheses (not italicized).
4
Add the issuing office
Include the full name of the patent office (e.g., U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, European Patent Office).
5
Include the URL
Provide the URL where the patent can be accessed (e.g., Google Patents, USPTO, Espacenet).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the patent number.
Using the filing date instead of the issue (grant) date — APA uses the issue date as the year.
Not including the name of the patent office as the publisher.
Forgetting to italicize the patent title.
Listing assignees instead of inventors as the author.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use the filing date or the issue date for a patent?

Use the issue (grant) date as the year in the citation. The filing date is when the application was submitted; the issue date is when the patent was officially granted.

How do I cite a patent application that has not yet been granted?

Use the same format but replace the patent number with the application number and note it as a patent application: (U.S. Patent Application No. 16/123,456).

What if the patent has multiple inventors?

List all inventors using standard APA author formatting. Use an ampersand (&) before the last inventor. For 21 or more, use the same ellipsis rule as for journal articles.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your patent:

Inventor
Title
Patent Number
Country
Filing Date
Issue Date

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the inventor(s)

List the inventor(s) using standard APA name format (Last, Initials). Use the inventor, not the assignee or company.

Add the year

Use the year the patent was issued (granted), not the filing date. Place in parentheses.

Write the patent title

Italicize the patent title. Use sentence case. Follow with the patent number in parentheses (not italicized).

Add the issuing office

Include the full name of the patent office (e.g., U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, European Patent Office).

Include the URL

Provide the URL where the patent can be accessed (e.g., Google Patents, USPTO, Espacenet).