How long does copyright registration take?

The Copyright Office usually takes 2 to 4 months, sometimes less and sometimes more. We file within 48 hours once we have everything we need.

You don't need to wait to publish. Copyright exists from the moment you create your work, and your registration is effective from the day the Copyright Office receives the complete filing.

The Copyright Office mails your certificate once it has processed the filing. From then on, you can also find your registration on the Copyright Office public records site.