When was the United States Declaration of Independence signed primarily?

The United States Declaration of Independence was signed primarily on August 2, 1776.

Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, but the formal engrossed parchment copy was prepared for signatures afterward. Most historians identify August 2 as the main signing date, when the document was signed at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, later called Independence Hall.

The date can be confusing because the document itself bears the date July 4, and several delegates later recalled signing on that day. Some delegates were absent on July 4 or had not yet been elected, making a complete signing then unlikely. Additional signatures were added after August 2.

The signing involved 56 delegates representing the Thirteen Colonies. John Hancock signed as president of Congress, while the other names were grouped geographically. The completed parchment is now preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.