EXHIBIT 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Lawrence P. Ward, Chief Executive Officer, certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report on Form 10-QSB of  Heritage  Oaks
     Bancorp;

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  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 we
     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 quarterly report is
     being prepared;

     b) Intentionally Left  Blank

     c) 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

     d) 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 and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal  controls over financial  reporting,
     to the registrant's  auditors and audit committee of the registrant's board
     of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function);

     a) all significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the design or
     operation  of  internal   controls  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 9, 2004
                                        /s/ Lawrence P. Ward
                                        ------------------------
                                        Lawrence P. Ward
                                        Chief Executive Officer