The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office typically processes design patents in about 12 months. However, a petition to accelerate the examination may be paid with a fee (currently $900 as of January 11, 2020) (USPTO fee schedule). The petition must also include a prior art search. The petition ( Request for expedited examination of a design application) usually reduces the time to acquire the design patent from 12 months to 3 months.