35 USC § 25 - Declaration in lieu of oath

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t35/s25"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "35 USC § 25 - Declaration in lieu of oath"
title_number: 35
title_name: "PATENTS"
section_number: "25"
section_name: "Declaration in lieu of oath"
chapter_number: 2
chapter_name: "PROCEEDINGS IN THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2025-12-12"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 88–292, § 1, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 171; amended Pub. L. 93–596, § 1, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1949; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4732(a)(10)(A)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–582; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, § 13206(b)(1)(B), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1906.)"
---


# § 25. Declaration in lieu of oath

**(a)** The Director may by rule prescribe that any document to be filed in the Patent and Trademark Office and which is required by any law, rule, or other regulation to be under oath may be subscribed to by a written declaration in such form as the Director may prescribe, such declaration to be in lieu of the oath otherwise required.

**(b)** Whenever such written declaration is used, the document must warn the declarant that willful false statements and the like are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both (18 U.S.C. 1001).

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 88–292, § 1, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 171; amended Pub. L. 93–596, § 1, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1949; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4732(a)(10)(A)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–582; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, § 13206(b)(1)(B), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1906.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a).  made technical correction to directory language of . See 1999 Amendment note below.

1999—Subsec. (a). , as amended by , substituted “Director” for “Commissioner” in two places.

1975—Subsec. (a).  substituted “Patent and Trademark Office” for “Patent Office”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by  effective 4 months after , see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4731] of , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under , Commerce and Trade.