The engrossed United States Declaration of Independence was signed primarily on August 2, 1776.
Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the formal signing of the parchment document occurred later. On July 19, the Second Continental Congress ordered that the declaration be fairly engrossed on parchment. The handwritten document was then prepared for signatures.
Most historians conclude that the principal signing took place on August 2 at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall. Some delegates signed later, and the exact signing dates of every delegate are not known.
The date is often confused with July 4 because the Declaration is dated July 4, 1776, and that is the date celebrated as Independence Day. The distinction matters for America250: the 2026 semiquincentennial commemorates the 250th anniversary of independence and the Declaration’s adoption, while the famous parchment signing followed nearly a month afterward. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document.