# Delaware Business License Lookup & List - Contractors, Retail (`loomwise/delaware-business-licenses`) Actor

Delaware state business license list and lookup, businesses only: contractors, retailers, restaurants, hotels, wholesalers, lessors and more, with license number, category, valid-from and valid-to dates, address.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/loomwise/delaware-business-licenses.md
- **Developed by:** [Loomwise](https://apify.com/loomwise) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Delaware Business License Lookup and List: contractors, retailers, restaurants, hotels and more

**Every business currently licensed by the State of Delaware, from the Division of Revenue's open business license data, as a spreadsheet.** About **53,000 licensed businesses**, including **10,900 resident and non-resident contractors**, retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, hotels and motels, commercial lessors, collection agencies and motor vehicle dealers. Each row has the business name, trade name, license number, license category, valid-from and valid-to dates, address, city, state and ZIP.

**Sample output** (real rows, a few of the columns):

| `businessName` | `licenseCategory` | `licenseNumber` | `licenseValidTo` | `city` |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRENFORD ANIMAL HOSPITAL PA | General Services | 2008205153 | 2027-12-31 | Dover |
| TORTELLA ENTERPRISES INC | Retailer Restaurant | 2012603832 | 2026-12-31 | Millsboro |
| CARS FOR LESS DOLLARS LLC | General Services | 2015102824 | 2026-12-31 | Dover |

Delaware does not publish one "contractor license" list: the state business license is issued by the Division of Revenue, and this Actor reads that official dataset. Use it three ways:

1. **Full Delaware business list.** Pick categories, cities or ZIP prefixes to export every licensed business in a territory (for example resident contractors in Wilmington, or restaurants in Sussex County towns).
2. **Fresh and renewed license leads.** Set `licensedWithinDays` (for example 90) to get businesses whose current license term started in that window. Delaware licenses run by calendar year, so most renewals start on January 1. The `licenseNumberYear` field shows the year encoded in the license number, which is usually the year the business was first licensed.
3. **Bulk Delaware license lookup / verification.** Paste license numbers into `licenseNumbers` to confirm a whole vendor or subcontractor list in one run. Numbers that are not currently licensed are listed in `RUN_SUMMARY` as not found.

**Free to try:** Apify's free plan ($5/month in credit, no card needed) covers about **1,600 records** a month.
**Price:** $3.00 per 1,000 results.

No browser, no proxies, no login, no API key. The Actor reads the State of Delaware open-data API, so a full export takes about 30 seconds.

### Business categories (`categories`)

| Code | What you get |
|---|---|
| `contractors` | Contractors and construction managers |
| `general_services` | General services businesses |
| `retail` | Retailers |
| `restaurants_food_alcohol` | Restaurants, food and alcohol |
| `wholesale_manufacturing` | Wholesalers and manufacturers |
| `real_estate_leasing` | Commercial lessors, real estate developers and leasing |
| `finance_collections` | Collection agencies and small-loan / finance companies |
| `hospitality` | Hotels, motels, short-term lodging and RV parks |
| `transportation` | Movers, taxi and bus operators, transportation agents |
| `tobacco_vapor` | Tobacco and vapor sellers |
| `motor_vehicle_dealers` | Motor vehicle dealers |
| `utilities_telecom` | Utilities and telecommunications providers |
| `trade_name_registrants` | Trade-name-only registrants |
| `other_businesses` | Other licensed businesses (junk dealers, showpersons and more) |

### What you get

- Business name and trade name (DBA)
- License number, license category and category group
- License valid-from and valid-to dates (the current term)
- Street address, city, state, ZIP and country, so out-of-state businesses licensed in Delaware are included (or skip them with `delawareOnly`)
- Source agency, dataset link and a link to the official Delaware license search

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `categories` | Business groups to return. Empty = all |
| `licensedWithinDays` / `licensedFrom` / `licensedTo` | Filter by when the current license term started |
| `licenseNumbers` | Bulk lookup by license number (up to 5,000) |
| `cities`, `zipCodes`, `keywords`, `delawareOnly` | Territory and name filters |
| `maxResults` | Cap (and cost). Newest license start first |

Example, resident and non-resident contractors in Wilmington (max cost about $0.30):

```json
{ "categories": ["contractors"], "cities": ["WILMINGTON"], "maxResults": 100 }
```

Example, bulk lookup:

```json
{ "licenseNumbers": ["2025950399", "2012102994"] }
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "businessName": "RA PAINTING LLC",
  "licenseNumber": "2025944171",
  "licenseNumberYear": 2025,
  "licenseCategory": "Resident Contractor",
  "categoryGroup": "contractors",
  "licenseValidFrom": "2027-01-01",
  "licenseValidTo": "2027-12-31",
  "status": "Currently licensed",
  "city": "Millsboro",
  "state": "DE",
  "zipCode": "19966-6588",
  "licensingState": "DE",
  "verifyUrl": "https://revenue.delaware.gov/business-license-search/"
}
```

### Who uses this

- Sales teams selling insurance, payroll, equipment, software or financing to Delaware businesses
- General contractors and property managers vetting subcontractors and vendors
- Lenders, insurers and compliance teams checking that a counterparty holds a Delaware license
- Researchers and journalists mapping Delaware's business base

### Privacy by design

Only businesses are returned. Licenses held by individual professionals (engineers, architects, real estate brokers, security guards, auctioneers, sales representatives, caregivers) are excluded by category, and rows whose business name reads like a person's own name (sole proprietors) are dropped. The data is public domain, published by the State of Delaware. No emails or phone numbers are collected.

### Common questions

**Does Delaware have a state contractor license?** Delaware has no general contractor competency license. Contractors hold a Division of Revenue business license, either Resident Contractor or Non-Resident Contractor, and this Actor lists them. Counties and municipalities may require their own permits.

**How fresh is the data?** The Actor queries the live State of Delaware dataset on every run, which the Division of Revenue updates daily.

**Does it include expired licenses?** No. The state dataset lists currently licensed businesses only.

**Is this official?** It is the State of Delaware's open data. Check any license on the official [Delaware business license search](https://revenue.delaware.gov/business-license-search/).

*Not affiliated with or endorsed by the State of Delaware. Data from the Delaware Division of Revenue, Delaware Open Data portal (public domain).*

### More license tools from Loomwise

- [Virginia contractor licenses](https://apify.com/loomwise/virginia-contractor-licenses)
- [Illinois IDFPR business licenses](https://apify.com/loomwise/illinois-idfpr-business-licenses)
- [New York contractor registry](https://apify.com/loomwise/new-york-contractor-registry)
- [US multi-state contractor licenses](https://apify.com/loomwise/us-contractor-licenses)
- [US new business filings](https://apify.com/loomwise/us-new-business-filings)

# Actor input Schema

## `categories` (type: `array`):

Which Delaware business license groups to return. Leave empty for all business groups.

## `licensedWithinDays` (type: `integer`):

New and renewed license leads: the current license term started in the last N days. 0 = no date filter (full list). Delaware licenses are issued by calendar year, so renewals appear on January 1.

## `licensedFrom` (type: `string`):

Optional exact start of the license-start-date window.

## `licensedTo` (type: `string`):

Optional exact end of the license-start-date window.

## `licenseNumbers` (type: `array`):

Bulk Delaware license lookup: paste business license numbers (e.g. 2025950399). Each is returned with its category and valid-from / valid-to dates. Overrides categories. Not-found numbers are listed in RUN_SUMMARY.

## `cities` (type: `array`):

Exact city names, e.g. WILMINGTON, DOVER, NEWARK.

## `zipCodes` (type: `array`):

e.g. 198 for the Wilmington area.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Match business name or trade name, e.g. roofing, pizza, hotel.

## `delawareOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Skip out-of-state businesses that hold a Delaware license.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Newest license start first. You pay per result.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "categories": [
    "contractors"
  ],
  "licensedWithinDays": 365,
  "delawareOnly": false,
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `licenses` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "categories": [
        "contractors"
    ],
    "licensedWithinDays": 365,
    "maxResults": 100
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("loomwise/delaware-business-licenses").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "categories": ["contractors"],
    "licensedWithinDays": 365,
    "maxResults": 100,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("loomwise/delaware-business-licenses").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "categories": [
    "contractors"
  ],
  "licensedWithinDays": 365,
  "maxResults": 100
}' |
apify call loomwise/delaware-business-licenses --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,loomwise/delaware-business-licenses"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/05HHYydQq3QU7JZFm/builds/epeJWsvJGfiJBXq25/openapi.json