<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.3

    RULE 13A-14(a) [SECTION 302] CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, William E. Elliott, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Plumas
                  Bancorp (the Registrant);

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
                  statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
                  necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
                  circumstances under which such statements were made, not
                  misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
                  financial information included in this report, fairly present
                  in all material respects the financial condition, results of
                  operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for,
                  the periods presented in this report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are
                  responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
                  controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

                       a.       Designed such disclosure controls and
                                procedures, or caused such disclosure controls
                                and procedures to be designed under our
                                supervision, to ensure that material information
                                relating to the registrant, including its
                                consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
                                by others within those entities, particularly
                                during the period in which this report is being
                                prepared;

                       b.       Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
                                disclosure controls and procedures and presented
                                in this report our conclusions about the
                                effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
                                procedures, as of the end of the period covered
                                by this report based on such evaluation; and

                       c.       Disclosed in this report any change in the
                                registrant's internal control over financial
                                reporting that occurred during the registrant's
                                most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
                                fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                                report) that has materially affected, or is
                                reasonably likely to materially affect, the
                                registrant's internal control over financial
                                reporting; and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have
                  disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
                  control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
                  and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors
                  (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

                       a.       All significant deficiencies and material
                                weaknesses in the design or operation of
                                internal control over financial reporting which
                                are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                                registrant's ability to record, process,
                                summarize and report financial information; and

                       b.       Any fraud, whether or not material, that
                                involves management or other employees who have
                                a significant role in the registrant's internal
                                control over financial reporting.

Date:  August 8, 2003                  /s/ William E. Elliott
       --------------               ---------------------------------
                                       William E. Elliott, President and CEO