There’s a new database of Delaware business licenses available, but instead of a government agency administering it, it’s being put together by the Wilmington, Delaware News Journal. You can access it at http://php.delawareonline.com/business/search.php .

You can search by business name, city/town, and zip code, or you can search by business category (very broad) or subcategory (very narrow.) Doing a search for Elmer found a stack of results presented in a table that includes name, trade name, address, and category.

Most of the listings are hyperlinked. If you click on one you’ll get a map of where the business is as well as a little additional information if available, including license number and the license expiration date.

One caveat: this is being maintained by a third party and not the state government. It’ll be updated weekly, not daily as you might expect.