Delegates signed the engrossed parchment copy of the United States Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
Congress adopted the Declaration's final wording on July 4, but the formal parchment document was prepared later. On July 19, Congress ordered that the resolution be engrossed on parchment under the title “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.”
Most delegates signed the completed parchment on August 2. Several others signed later, so August 2 is best understood as the principal signing date rather than a moment when every listed name was placed on the page simultaneously.
This distinction explains why July 4 and August 2 both appear in accounts of the Declaration. July 4 marks congressional adoption, while August 2 marks the major signing ceremony. The famous parchment is now preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., alongside other foundational documents such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights.