This collection includes Denver building permits for the City and County of Denver from 1889 through 1892, 1900 through 1955, and 1960 through 1999. Permits from 1893-1899 and 1955-1959 did not survive and are not included in this collection.
Early permits to 1914 have been transcribed and digitized with three indexes - by name, street name, and legal description. These early records provide names of original owners and construction costs, and sometimes indicate names of builders or architects. Many permits are missing or incomplete. Most permits issued before 1915 do not include a street address and must instead be searched by legal description.
Permits for the years 1915 to 1955 are arranged by street address and can be accessed on microfilm in the Special Collections and Archives. A portion of permits from this date range is available online. Building permits from 1960-1999 are accessible on microfiche in Special Collections and Archives at Central Library. Some records for these years are also incomplete. For more information, see our Building History Resources Guide and our Denver Building History Tutorial.
Denver Assessor Records - late 1950s to the early 1980s
The Master Property Record cards show the chain of ownership of Denver property by Parcel Number, from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. The Parcel Number can be found on the Denver Assessor’s Office Real Property Search website. Try searching them by address or parcel number. If you have trouble finding the card online, please see our tutorial or ask for assistance at the Special Collections and Archives Reference Desk.
Guide to Digitized Denver Building Permits
Regularly updated list of currently available Denver building permit documents available in our Digital Collections.