**EXHIBIT 31.1**

**CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER  OF GUARANTY BANCSHARES, INC. PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002**

I, Arthur B. Scharlach, Jr., certify that:

|   | 1.     I have reviewed this   quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
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|   | 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;                                                                                                                             |
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|   | 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;                                                                                                                                                |
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|   | 4.     The registrant’s   other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and   maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act   Rules 13(a)-15(e) and 15(d)-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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|   |          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; |
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|   |          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                                                                                         |
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|   |          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   that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect,   the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting;                                                        |
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|   | 5.     The registrant’s   other certifying officer 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:                                                                                                                                                                            |
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|   |           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                                                                                             |
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|   |          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.                                                                                                                                                                                                    |