How many orders did biden sign by hand
Executive summary
Joseph R. Biden Jr. is widely reported to have signed 162 executive orders during his single term from January 2021 to January 2025, a figure recorded by multiple major trackers (Federal Register; Ballotpedia) [1] [2]. A small number of reputable sources report slightly different totals (e.g., 160), and those discrepancies arise from definitional and timing issues that follow from how executive actions are categorized and published [3] [4].
1. The commonly cited total: 162 executive orders
The most consistent headline figure across official compilations and civic trackers is 162 executive orders for Biden’s 2021–2025 term: the Federal Register lists Biden with 162 executive orders between 2021 and 2025 (the authoritative repository for presidential documents) [1], and Ballotpedia’s long-form tally matches that same number, also listing Biden’s broader set of presidential actions alongside the 162 executive orders [2]. Wikipedia’s curated list of Biden’s executive actions likewise reports a total of 162 EOs for that term in its summary, reiterating the same figure [5].
2. Where other counts (like 160) come from and why they differ
Some reputable outlets reported slightly different totals—USAFacts, for example, reports 160 executive orders for Biden’s single term [3]. These smaller discrepancies typically stem from differences in cutoffs (which day is included), whether late-published EOs are counted in a given term or year, and whether some administrative directives are classified as executive orders versus memoranda, proclamations, notices or other presidential actions [3] [4].
3. Publication timing, numbering and classification complicate a simple tally
The Federal Register notes that documents cannot be published until the Office of the Federal Register receives them after a president signs them, creating publication delays of days or more and contributing to apparent mismatches in tallies depending on when a dataset is captured [1]. The American Presidency Project emphasizes that the form and substance of presidential directives vary and that many directives are not formally numbered “Executive Orders,” which makes simple counts misleading unless methodology is standardized [4]. The White House maintains its own presidential-actions pages which list executive orders alongside proclamations, memoranda and other instruments, underscoring how multiple document types sit alongside EOs and invite differing inclusion rules [6].
4. Post-term rescissions and later administrations can alter perceived totals
Subsequent presidential actions can rescind or supersede prior executive orders; for example, documentation shows that a later presidential action in January 2025 rescinded a subset of Biden’s executive orders and memoranda, which complicates retrospective tallies if a dataset counts only currently active orders versus those originally signed (Wikipedia summary referencing rescissions; White House rescission notice) [5] [7]. That means a raw historical count of “orders signed” is different from a catalog of “orders currently in force,” and some public reporting conflates the two.
5. Bottom line and recommended source for verification
For the straightforward question “how many executive orders did Biden sign,” the best-supported answer in contemporary public records is 162 executive orders during his 2021–2025 term, as recorded by the Federal Register and mirrored by Ballotpedia and other comprehensive lists [1] [2] [5]. Slight variant figures (for example, 160) exist in reputable reporting due to methodological differences about classification and timing [3] [4]; researchers seeking absolutist confirmation should consult the Federal Register’s Biden executive orders index and the White House presidential actions archive for document-level verification [1] [6].