Honestly, being a licensed contractor in my state and dealing with residential construction for almost 15 years now, licensing means almost nothing. All it says is you payed your monetary dues and are bonded IF the county the work performed in requires it. Most states have no requirements that you be licensed and it is not illegal to operate without the license. Additionally, if you are in a county that requires bonding, you are still required to have that insurance if you are not licensed.
All contractors should be researched and you should ask for references. Being licensed doesn't make them any less likely to be incompetent or rip you off in my experience.