diff --git a/civil/civil.go b/civil/civil.go
index 454deab4af13..cf663022dea4 100644
--- a/civil/civil.go
+++ b/civil/civil.go
@@ -111,6 +111,17 @@ func (d Date) After(d2 Date) bool {
 	return d2.Before(d)
 }
 
+// Compare compares d and d2. If d is before d2, it returns -1;
+// if d is after d2, it returns +1; otherwise it returns 0.
+func (d Date) Compare(d2 Date) int {
+	if d.Before(d2) {
+		return -1
+	} else if d.After(d2) {
+		return +1
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
 // IsZero reports whether date fields are set to their default value.
 func (d Date) IsZero() bool {
 	return (d.Year == 0) && (int(d.Month) == 0) && (d.Day == 0)
@@ -209,6 +220,17 @@ func (t Time) After(t2 Time) bool {
 	return t2.Before(t)
 }
 
+// Compare compares t and t2. If t is before t2, it returns -1;
+// if t is after t2, it returns +1; otherwise it returns 0.
+func (t Time) Compare(t2 Time) int {
+	if t.Before(t2) {
+		return -1
+	} else if t.After(t2) {
+		return +1
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
 // MarshalText implements the encoding.TextMarshaler interface.
 // The output is the result of t.String().
 func (t Time) MarshalText() ([]byte, error) {
@@ -302,6 +324,12 @@ func (dt DateTime) After(dt2 DateTime) bool {
 	return dt2.Before(dt)
 }
 
+// Compare compares dt and dt2. If dt is before dt2, it returns -1;
+// if dt is after dt2, it returns +1; otherwise it returns 0.
+func (dt DateTime) Compare(dt2 DateTime) int {
+	return dt.In(time.UTC).Compare(dt2.In(time.UTC))
+}
+
 // IsZero reports whether datetime fields are set to their default value.
 func (dt DateTime) IsZero() bool {
 	return dt.Date.IsZero() && dt.Time.IsZero()
diff --git a/civil/civil_test.go b/civil/civil_test.go
index c9354f3277a9..590e77b90af9 100644
--- a/civil/civil_test.go
+++ b/civil/civil_test.go
@@ -193,6 +193,21 @@ func TestDateAfter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDateCompare(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		d1, d2 Date
+		want   int
+	}{
+		{Date{2016, 12, 31}, Date{2017, 1, 1}, -1},
+		{Date{2016, 1, 1}, Date{2016, 1, 1}, 0},
+		{Date{2016, 12, 31}, Date{2016, 12, 30}, +1},
+	} {
+		if got := test.d1.Compare(test.d2); got != test.want {
+			t.Errorf("%v.Compare(%v): got %d, want %d", test.d1, test.d2, got, test.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDateIsZero(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		date Date
@@ -330,6 +345,27 @@ func TestTimeAfter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTimeCompare(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		t1, t2 Time
+		want   int
+	}{
+		{Time{12, 0, 0, 0}, Time{14, 0, 0, 0}, -1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 0, 0}, Time{12, 30, 0, 0}, -1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 10, 0}, Time{12, 20, 20, 0}, -1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 10, 5}, Time{12, 20, 10, 10}, -1},
+		{Time{14, 0, 0, 0}, Time{12, 0, 0, 0}, +1},
+		{Time{12, 30, 0, 0}, Time{12, 20, 0, 0}, +1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 20, 0}, Time{12, 20, 10, 0}, +1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 10, 10}, Time{12, 20, 10, 5}, +1},
+		{Time{12, 20, 10, 5}, Time{12, 20, 10, 5}, 0},
+	} {
+		if got := test.t1.Compare(test.t2); got != test.want {
+			t.Errorf("%v.Compare(%v): got %d, want %d", test.t1, test.t2, got, test.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDateTimeToString(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		str       string
@@ -453,6 +489,27 @@ func TestDateTimeAfter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDateTimeCompare(t *testing.T) {
+	d1 := Date{2016, 12, 31}
+	d2 := Date{2017, 1, 1}
+	t1 := Time{5, 6, 7, 8}
+	t2 := Time{5, 6, 7, 9}
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		dt1, dt2 DateTime
+		want     int
+	}{
+		{DateTime{d1, t1}, DateTime{d2, t1}, -1},
+		{DateTime{d1, t1}, DateTime{d1, t2}, -1},
+		{DateTime{d2, t1}, DateTime{d1, t1}, +1},
+		{DateTime{d1, t2}, DateTime{d1, t1}, +1},
+		{DateTime{d2, t1}, DateTime{d2, t1}, 0},
+	} {
+		if got := test.dt1.Compare(test.dt2); got != test.want {
+			t.Errorf("%v.Compare(%v): got %d, want %d", test.dt1, test.dt2, got, test.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDateTimeIsZero(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		dt   DateTime