On October 25, 1990, the Declaration on the State Sovereignty of Kazakhstan was adopted. The Declaration proclaimed the sovereignty of the Kazakh SSR and declared the political and legal foundations of Kazakhstan as an independent state.

Republic Day was included in the list of public holidays in 2001. In 2009, the holiday disappeared from the calendar of official dates.

Speaking at the first meeting of the National Kurultai on June 16, President of Kazakhstan Kassymzhomart Tokayev proposed to return the status of a national holiday to the Republic Day.