Exhibit 31.1
                  CERTIFICATIONS AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 302(a)
                        OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Norman E. Wells Jr., certify that:

    1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Sovereign Specialty Chemicals
       Inc.;

    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 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 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
       likely to materially affect the registrant's internal control over
       financial reporting

    5. The registrant's other certifying officers 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 registrant's
       board of directors:

          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: May 5, 2004

/s/ NORMAN E. WELLS, JR.
---------------------------------
Norman E. Wells, Jr.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

<PAGE>


                                                                    Exhibit 31.2
                  CERTIFICATIONS AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 302(a)
                        OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Terry D. Smith, certify that:

    1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Sovereign Specialty Chemicals
       Inc.;

    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 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 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
       likely to materially affect the registrant's internal control over
       financial reporting

    5. The registrant's other certifying officers 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 registrant's
       board of directors:

       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: May 5, 2004

/s/ TERRY D. SMITH
---------------------------------------
Terry D. Smith
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer