Adams County Clerk and Recorder Office
The elected Adams County Clerk and Recorder is Josh Zygielbaum. The office oversees Recording, Elections, and Motor Vehicle departments. The office's local functions include filing maps, handling elections, issuing marriage licenses, preparing and issuing motor vehicle titles and plates, recording documents, and registering voters. For records access, the Recording Department is the key division because it manages recorded land documents, marriage and civil-union records, certified copies, and the Landmark/Catalis Official Records Search.
This county office should not be confused with the Adams County Clerk of Court. A divorce decree, probate order, criminal disposition, or civil judgment is a judicial record requested through the court Records Unit. A recorded marriage certificate, deed, lien, map, or other recorded instrument is handled through the Clerk and Recorder. The county's public records page says uncertified copies may be downloaded or printed at no charge from the online records link, while certified copies must be ordered by phone or in person.
Adams County Clerk and Recorder
Clerk and Recorder: Josh Zygielbaum
4430 S. Adams County Pkwy., Suite E2400
Brighton, CO 80601
General: 720-523-6500
Recording and certified copies: 720-523-6020
Recorded-copy questions: Adams.RecordingCopies@adcogov.org
Mail recordings and payment to P.O. Box 5012, Brighton, CO 80601
What the Clerk and Recorder Handles
The Clerk and Recorder is the county-level office for recorded instruments and marriage or civil-union licensing. The Recording Department accepts recordings by mail, FedEx, UPS, e-recording vendors, and walk-ins. Marriage/civil-union license and passport application services are by appointment only. This is separate from the court clerk's public-window process at the Justice Center.
The county's official page shows the separate recorder function: Adams County Clerk and Recorder.
The recorder office is the place to start when the record is a county-recorded document rather than a court docket entry, court order, or court-file copy.
- Recorded documents, including deeds, liens, plats, maps, and other instruments accepted for recording.
- Marriage and civil-union license applications, recording, searches, and certified copies.
- Uncertified recorded-document copies downloaded or printed from the online records system.
- Certified copies ordered by phone or in person through the Recording Department.
- Elections, voter registration, and motor vehicle titles and plates, which are official clerk functions but not court-record searches.
Official Records Search Fields
Adams County uses the Landmark/Catalis Official Records Search for recorded documents. The search modes cover names, document information, book and page, consideration, record date, reception number, and legal description. The portal notice says login is no longer required to obtain copies without a watermark; users can complete a search and download or print the document. Questions about copies go to Adams.RecordingCopies@adcogov.org, and certified copies require contact with 720-523-6020.
| Search field | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name Search | Find documents tied to a person or business name. | Quick Search includes an option to see all documents with a specific name. |
| Document Search | Search by document-related criteria. | Exact internal fields were not fully visible in static capture. |
| Book and Page Search | Find older recorded instruments. | Useful when an older reference cites book and page. |
| Consideration | Search by consideration or value where indexed. | Use only when the recorded value is known. |
| Record Date Search | Limit by recording date range. | Helpful when the party name is common. |
| Reception Number | Search by instrument or reception number. | Best when a title company or prior document gives the number. |
| Legal Search | Search by legal description. | Useful for property-specific document research. |
How to Get Certified Copies
Start online when an uncertified copy is enough. The county public records page says users may download or print uncertified copies at no charge from the online records link. Certified copies require a different process because the recording fee schedule says certified copies cannot be sent electronically. For certified recorded-document copies or certified marriage/civil-union copies, call 720-523-6020 or order in person through the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department.
- Search the Adams County Official Records Search by name, date, reception number, legal description, or quick-search option.
- Confirm the document type and recording details before requesting certification.
- For uncertified copies, download or print the document from the portal when available.
- For certified copies, call 720-523-6020 or visit the Recording Department because certified copies cannot be sent electronically.
- Ask for the current total, including per-page charges and the certification fee, before submitting payment.
Recording Request Details to Prepare
The county recorder portal and recording-copy process work best when the request describes the record precisely. For property records, use names, property address, legal description, reception number, book and page, or recording date. For marriage or civil-union records, use the parties' names and a likely year. The county CORA workflow is a separate county administrative-record process, but its request fields confirm the value of a specific request description and a clear document-review preference.
| Detail | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Names on the document | Usually needed | Use grantor/grantee, spouse names, business names, or other indexed names. |
| Reception number | Best if known | Directs staff to the exact recorded instrument. |
| Record date or year range | Helpful | Important for marriage/civil-union searches and common names. |
| Legal description or property address | Helpful for land records | The CORA form specifically asks for address when requesting property records. |
| Copy type | Yes | State whether uncertified, certified, emailed, mailed, or in-person pickup is needed. |
| Contact information | Yes for staff requests | Include phone or email for fee estimates and follow-up. |
Adams County Recording Fees
The Recording Department publishes specific copy and license fees. Regular copies are 25 cents per page. Certified copies are 25 cents per page plus $1 per document certification, and certified copies cannot be sent electronically. The marriage/civil-union application and license fee is $30. A marriage or civil-union search costs $5 for the first year and $2 for each additional year. The office accepts cash, check, debit cards, and credit cards; credit card payments carry a 3% fee, and returned checks or insufficient funds carry a $41 charge.
| Item | Fee / notes |
|---|---|
| Regular copies | $0.25 per page |
| Certified copies | $0.25 per page plus $1.00 per document certification |
| Regular-size map copies, 8.5 x 11 | $0.25 per page |
| Plat-size map copies, 18 x 24 | $5.00 per page |
| Grantee/grantor search report | $0.50 per page |
| Marriage license application and license | $30 |
| Civil union license application and license | $30 |
| Marriage/civil-union search | $5 first year; $2 each additional year |
| Credit card fee | 3% |
Marriage and Civil-Union Records
Marriage records are held by the Adams County Clerk and Recorder, while divorce records and decrees are court records through the 17th Judicial District Records Unit. Adams County does not perform ceremonies in the office. Marriage and civil-union licenses may be issued by any Colorado county and used anywhere in Colorado, but they are not valid if used or signed outside Colorado. Applicants do not have to be Colorado residents. The legal age is 18; ages 16 and 17 require a court order, and applicants under 16 cannot obtain a license.
The county marriage page links to the official application portal. The screenshot below comes from the Adams County recording portal, which is the proper channel for marriage license application access.
The recording portal supports the marriage side of the clerk's office; it should not be used to request divorce decrees, which remain District Court records.
| Marriage requirement | Research-supported detail |
|---|---|
| ID | Current driver's license, passport, military ID, or state-issued ID. |
| Social Security number | If either person lacks an SSN, an affidavit must be signed at application. |
| Prior marriage/civil union | Provide date, city, and state where the prior marriage or civil union ended. |
| Absentee party | Absent party must complete a notarized absentee affidavit; appearing party brings affidavit and ID or ID copy. |
| Return deadline | Certificate portion must be completed within 35 days and returned for recording within 63 days. |
| Witnesses | Witness signatures are not required; children may sign as witnesses if desired. |
Mail, Walk-In, and E-Recording Options
The Recording Department accepts recordings by mail, FedEx, UPS, e-recording vendors, and walk-ins. Mail documents and payment to Adams County Clerk & Recorder, P.O. Box 5012, Brighton, CO 80601. Marriage/civil-union license and passport application services are by appointment only. For copy questions, use 720-523-6020 or Adams.RecordingCopies@adcogov.org. For records that are not already available online and are county administrative records rather than court files, Adams County's CORA workflow starts with looking online, locating the appropriate department custodian, completing the Open Records Request Form, and sending it to the department contact or cora@adamscountyco.gov if the custodian cannot be identified.