Exhibit 99.1

News Release

For more information contact:

Dennis J. Zember Jr.

Executive Vice President & CFO

(229) 890-1111

AMERIS BANCORP REPORTS NET INCOME OF $5.0 MILLION FOR

FIRST QUARTER OF 2007

AMERIS BANCORP (NasdaqGS: ABCB), Moultrie, Georgia, reported net income of $5.0 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, compared to net income of $5.1 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, in the same quarter of 2006.

Growth in Net Interest Income

Ameris reported total net interest income of $18.4 million, an increase of 12.4% over the same period in 2006. Total interest income increased 30.5% to $35.4 million, while total interest expense increased $6.2 million to $17.0 million. For the first quarter of 2007, the Company’s net interest margin improved by 0.07% from the fourth quarter of 2006 to 4.10% as the Company improved several areas affecting profitability on its balance sheet. Although improving slightly, the Company’s net interest margin remains lower than management’s targets due mostly to an unfavorable mix of earning assets during the first quarter of 2007. Average short-term assets comprised approximately 4.6% of total earning assets, while loans comprised only 79.4%.

Operating Income and Expense Trends

Total operating income improved by 16.2% to $4.5 million in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the same quarter in 2006. Service charges on deposit accounts improved by 9.1% to $2.9 million in the period, while income from mortgage banking activities improved substantially to $0.7 million. This increase in mortgage banking activities reflects a 50.4% increase from the same period in 2006 and is a result of renewed sales efforts and an expansion of mortgage banking staff that started late in the fourth quarter of 2006. The Company expects to further refine mortgage sales practices and expand staffing levels throughout the remainder of 2007 and anticipates continued growth in profitability from this division.

Operating expenses during the first quarter of 2007 increased by 19.5% to $14.4 million when compared to the same quarter in 2006. Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2007 include the operating expenses of the recently acquired Islands Bancorp and some recent staff additions to quickly expedite expansion of the desired franchise in several South Carolina markets. Total new operating expenses related to the expansion in South Carolina amounted to approximately $1.1 million for the first quarter. Growth in operating expenses exclusive of these new costs amounted to approximately 10.4% when compared to the first quarter of 2006.

In addition to the new costs related to the Islands acquisition, salaries and employee benefits include a one-time charge of approximately $300,000 for anticipated severance expenses associated with the Company’s recent corporate restructuring. In an earlier press release, Ameris announced plans to consolidate certain operational functions across its banking footprint into several customer support centers. This move along with the expansion of sales and training roles is expected to be completed during the second half of 2007.

Balance Sheet Growth, Healthy Loan Pipelines

Total assets grew to $2.04 billion at the end of the first quarter compared to $1.74 billion at the same time in 2006, an increase of 17.5%. Loans increased during the period by 19.0% to $1.48 billion as the Company continued to see strong loan growth from across its footprint. Deposits ended the first quarter of 2007 at $1.72 billion, representing growth of $298 million, or 21.0%, when compared to the same period in 2006. Demand deposits (interest bearing and non-interest bearing) increased 26.0% to $778.4 million compared to $617.6 million at March 31, 2006. Growth rates in loans and deposits include the recent Islands acquisition that added approximately $63 million in loans and $67 million in deposits. Excluding these acquired loans and deposits, Ameris reported internal growth rates of 13.9% and 16.2% in loans and deposits, respectively, compared to March 31, 2006 balances. The Company attributes its internal growth rates to successful efforts to hire experienced local producers in markets where growth opportunities warrant the additional investments. These successful recruiting efforts along with efforts to improve production levels among existing officers has contributed to strong levels of loan growth over the past year as well as strong loan production pipelines heading into the remainder of 2007.

Credit Quality Trends

The Company’s credit quality declined slightly during the first quarter as the Company reported 0.67% of non-performing assets to total loans compared to 0.60% at December 31, 2006 and 0.90% at March 31, 2006. The reserve for loan losses amounted to 1.70% of total loans at the end of the first quarter of 2006 compared to 1.72% at December 31, 2006. Annualized net charge-offs for the quarter were 0.07% compared to 0.10% reported during 2006.

Ameris Bancorp is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia, and has 46 locations in Georgia, Alabama, northern Florida and South Carolina.

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Ameris Bancorp Common Stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ABCB”. The preceding release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate” and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007			Dec. 2006			Sept. 2006			June 2006			Mar. 2006
EARNINGS
Net Income	$	5,024		$	5,759		$	5,954		$	5,315		$	5,100
PER COMMON SHARE DATA
Earnings per share:
Basic		0.37			0.44			0.46			0.41			0.39
Diluted		0.37			0.43			0.45			0.40			0.39
Cash Dividends per share		0.14			0.14			0.14			0.14			0.14
Book value per share (period end)		13.51			13.24			12.31			11.75			11.68
Tangible book value per share (period end)		9.06			8.88			8.58			7.99			7.86
Weighted average number of shares:
Basic		13,443,850			13,044,493			13,022,400			12,985,424			12,951,765
Diluted		13,667,509			13,269,289			13,226,055			13,139,130			13,102,633
Period-end number of shares		13,527,520			13,553,002			13,033,193			13,021,510			12,967,576
Market data:
High closing price		28.32			29.13			27.91			23.24			23.29
Low closing price		23.25			25.90			21.09			20.23			19.71
Period end closing price		24.48			28.18			27.21			23.14			23.26
Average daily volume		41,130			23,016			36,957			21,949			15,952
PERFORMANCE RATIOS
Return on average assets		1.01	%		1.17	%		1.28	%		1.23	%		1.20	%
Return on average equity		11.22	%		13.51	%		15.46	%		14.10	%		13.66	%
Earning asset yield (TE)		7.85	%		7.64	%		7.73	%		7.58	%		7.13	%
Total cost of funds		3.79	%		3.65	%		3.50	%		3.10	%		2.83	%
Net interest margin (TE)		4.10	%		4.03	%		4.26	%		4.50	%		4.32	%
Non-interest income excluding securities transactions, as a percent of total revenue (TE)		11.29	%		17.02	%		13.82	%		11.50	%		12.48	%
Efficiency ratio		62.95	%		62.66	%		58.24	%		57.97	%		59.57	%
CAPITAL ADEQUACY
Equity to assets		8.95	%		8.78	%		8.25	%		8.58	%		8.71	%
Tangible common equity to assets		6.18	%		6.07	%		5.90	%		6.00	%		6.03	%
OTHER PERIOD-END DATA
FTE Headcount		600			600			588			585			584
Assets per FTE	$	3,405		$	3,405		$	3,309		$	3,048		$	2,978
Branch locations		46			44			43			42			42
Deposits per branch location	$	37,369		$	38,940		$	38,162		$	34,432		$	33,836

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007		Dec. 2006		Sept. 2006			June 2006			Mar. 2006
INCOME STATEMENT
Interest income
Interest and fees on loans	$	30,760	$	29,175	$	28,553		$	26,355		$	23,476
Interest on taxable securities		3,337		3,032		2,986			2,950			2,742
Interest on nontaxable securities		179		174		156			127			98
Interest on deposits in other banks		1,042		1,626		899			390			667
Interest on federal funds sold		91		73		30			—			158
Total interest income		35,408		34,080		32,624			29,822			27,141
Interest expense
Interest on deposits		15,205		14,392		12,600			9,979			8,628
Interest on federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase		59		62		37			48			33
Interest on other borrowings		1,727		1,713		2,090			2,122			2,088
Total interest expense		16,991		16,167		14,727			12,149			10,749
Net interest income		18,418		17,914		17,897			17,673			16,392
Provision for loan losses		507		713		713			901			510
Net interest income after provision for loan losses		17,910		17,201		17,184			16,772			15,882
Noninterest income
Service charges on deposit accounts		2,870		3,665		2,978			2,926			2,631
Mortgage banking activity		683		639		547			494			454
Other non-interest income		972		2,718		1,730			430			800
Gain (loss) on sale of securities		—		—		(3	)		(314	)		9
Total noninterest income		4,525		7,023		5,252			3,536			3,894
Noninterest expense
Salaries and employee benefits		7,732		7,445		7,131			6,042			6,624
Equipment and occupancy expense		1,676		2,281		1,658			1,544			1,353
Amortization of intangible assets		324		322		344			232			209
Other operating expenses		4,711		5,578		4,348			4,476			3,899
Total noninterest expense		14,443		15,626		13,481			12,294			12,085
Operating Profit		7,992		8,597		8,955			8,014			7,691
Provision for income taxes		2,968		2,838		3,001			2,699			2,591
Net Income	$	5,024	$	5,759	$	5,954		$	5,315		$	5,100
Diluted earnings per share		0.37		0.43		0.45			0.40			0.39

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Mar. 2007			Dec. 2006			Sept. 2006			June 2006			Mar. 2006
PERIOD-END BALANCE SHEET
Assets
Cash and due from banks	$	56,104		$	70,041		$	54,093		$	63,894		$	67,570
Federal funds sold & interest bearing balances		94,496			135,232			148,118			26,642			56,998
Securities available for sale, at fair value		300,101			282,972			266,546			257,283			273,031
Loans		1,475,869			1,442,951			1,373,071			1,330,713			1,240,436
Less: allowance for loan losses		25,113			24,863			23,905			23,366			22,616
Loans, net		1,450,756			1,418,088			1,349,166			1,307,347			1,217,820
Premises and equipment, net		47,251			46,604			42,266			40,625			40,194
Intangible assets, net		5,775			6,099			5,640			5,971			6,203
Goodwill		54,419			52,991			42,933			42,933			43,304
Other assets		33,975			30,771			37,142			38,649			33,771
Total Assets	$	2,042,877		$	2,042,798		$	1,945,904		$	1,783,344		$	1,738,891
Liabilities
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing demand	$	204,309		$	225,095		$	226,939		$	201,489		$	193,869
Interest-bearing demand		574,089			544,005			517,300			418,310			423,682
Savings		64,182			63,254			66,645			71,873			73,532
Time deposits		876,391			880,995			830,082			754,456			730,023
Total deposits Total deposits		1,718,971			1,713,349			1,640,966			1,446,128			1,421,106
Federal funds purchased & securities sold under agreements to repurchase		5,370			15,933			6,725			3,769			8,502
Other borrowings		76,485			75,591			76,287			124,094			100,095
Other liabilities		17,018			16,209			19,217			15,629			17,036
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures		42,269			42,269			42,269			40,722			40,722
Total liabilities		1,860,113			1,863,351			1,785,464			1,630,342			1,587,461
Stockholders' equity
Common stock		14,850			14,876			14,356			14,340			14,286
Capital surplus		81,620			82,129			67,728			67,352			67,097
Retained earnings		98,631			95,523			91,589			87,466			83,970
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(1,744	)		(2,489	)		(2,640	)		(5,675	)		(3,442	)
Less treasury stock		(10,593	)		(10,593	)		(10,593	)		(10,481	)		(10,481	)
Total stockholders' equity		182,764			179,447			160,440			153,002			151,430
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	2,042,877		$	2,042,798		$	1,945,904		$	1,783,344		$	1,738,891
Other Data
Earning Assets		1,870,466			1,861,155			1,787,735			1,614,638			1,570,465
Intangible Assets		60,193			59,091			48,573			48,904			49,507
Interest bearing liabilities		1,638,786			1,622,047			1,539,308			1,413,224			1,376,556
Average Assets		2,017,400			1,946,772			1,851,073			1,733,204			1,723,611
Average Stockholders' Equity		181,645			169,135			152,775			151,175			151,429

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007			Dec. 2006			Sept. 2006			June 2006			Mar. 2006
ASSET QUALITY INFORMATION
Allowance for loan losses
Balance at beginning of period	$	24,863		$	23,905		$	23,366		$	22,616		$	22,294
Acquired Reserves		—			1,024			—			—			—
Provision for loan loss		507			713			713			901			510
Charge-offs		787			1,635			744			339			1,419
Recoveries		530			856			570			188			1,231
Net charge-offs (recoveries)		257			779			174			151			188
Ending balance	$	25,113		$	24,863		$	23,905		$	23,366		$	22,616
As a percentage of loans		1.70	%		1.72	%		1.74	%		1.76	%		1.82	%
As a percentage of nonperforming loans		282.46	%		361.54	%		283.37	%		316.74	%		231.67	%
As a percentage of nonperforming assets		252.93	%		285.29	%		237.91	%		250.95	%		203.05	%
Net Charge-off information
Charge-offs
Commercial	$	353		$	1,078		$	300		$	153		$	181
Installment		146			385			159			167			163
Real Estate		288			145			280			14			1,005
Agriculture		—			7			4			3			—
Other		—			20			1			2			70
Total charge-offs		787			1,635			744			339			1,419
Recoveries
Commercial		357			356			481			55			636
Installment		121			107			61			62			247
Real Estate		51			362			21			27			335
Agriculture		0			31			4			32			—
Other		—			—			3			12			13
Total recoveries		530			856			570			188			1,231
Net charge-offs (recoveries)	$	257		$	779		$	174		$	151		$	188
Non-accrual loans		8,891			6,877			8,436			7,377			9,762
Foreclosed assets		1,038			1,838			1,612			1,934			1,376
Total non-performing assets		9,929			8,715			10,048			9,311			11,138
Non-performing assets as a percent of loans and foreclosed assets		0.67	%		0.60	%		0.73	%		0.70	%		0.90	%
Net charge offs as a percent of loans (Annualized)		0.07	%		0.22	%		0.05	%		0.05	%		0.06	%

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007		Dec. 2006		Sept. 2006		June 2006		Mar. 2006
AVERAGE BALANCES
Short term assets	$	85,297	$	126,332	$	64,374	$	25,277	$	69,529
Investment securities		292,979		272,769		266,450		270,842		265,680
Loans		1,458,725		1,377,824		1,351,601		1,289,354		1,213,916
Total Earning Assets		1,837,001		1,776,925		1,682,425		1,585,473		1,549,125
Noninterest bearing deposits		199,779		199,812		180,932		188,562		190,075
Interest bearing deposits		554,530		521,539		476,371		417,953		409,215
Savings		62,933		64,450		70,282		73,368		73,062
CDs		875,003		841,387		801,856		738,859		707,895
Deposits		1,692,245		1,627,188		1,529,441		1,418,742		1,380,247
FHLB advances		71,547		71,087		86,141		101,044		100,866
Subordinated debentures		42,269		42,269		43,580		40,722		40,722
Other borrowings		13,745		14,810		11,884		12,737		17,664
Total non-deposit funding		127,561		128,166		141,605		154,503		159,252
Total funding	$	1,819,806	$	1,755,354	$	1,671,046	$	1,573,245	$	1,539,499

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007		Dec. 2006		Sept. 2006		June 2006		Mar. 2006
INTEREST INCOME/EXPENSE
Short term assets	$	1,133	$	1,699	$	929	$	390	$	825
Investment securities (TE)		3,612		3,294		3,223		3,143		2,890
Loans (TE)		30,810		29,239		28,622		26,419		23,529
Total Earning Assets		35,555		34,232		32,774		29,952		27,244
Noninterest bearing deposits		—		—		—		—		—
Interest bearing deposits		4,183		3,866		3,120		2,045		1,635
Savings		164		178		193		186		174
CDs		10,858		10,349		9,287		7,748		6,819
Deposits		15,205		14,392		12,600		9,979		8,628
FHLB advances		888		899		1,087		1,131		1,129
Subordinated debentures		754		724		916		909		884
Other borrowings		144		152		124		130		108
Total non-deposit funding		1,786		1,775		2,127		2,170		2,121
Total funding	$	16,991	$	16,167	$	14,727	$	12,149	$	10,749
Net Interest Income (TE)	$	18,565	$	18,065	$	18,047	$	17,803	$	16,495

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

	Three Months Ended
	Mar. 2007		Dec. 2006		Sept. 2006		June 2006		Mar. 2006
YIELDS (1)
Short term assets	5.39	%	5.34	%	5.73	%	6.19	%	4.81	%
Investment securities	5.00	%	4.79	%	4.80	%	4.65	%	4.41	%
Loans	8.57	%	8.42	%	8.40	%	8.22	%	7.86	%
Total Earning Assets (2)	7.85	%	7.64	%	7.73	%	7.58	%	7.13	%
Noninterest bearing deposits
Interest bearing deposits	3.06	%	2.94	%	2.60	%	1.96	%	1.62	%
Savings	1.06	%	1.09	%	1.09	%	1.02	%	0.97	%
CDs	5.03	%	4.88	%	4.59	%	4.21	%	3.91	%
Deposits	3.64	%	3.51	%	3.27	%	2.82	%	2.54	%
FHLB advances	5.03	%	5.02	%	5.01	%	4.49	%	4.54	%
Subordinated debentures	7.23	%	6.80	%	8.34	%	8.95	%	8.80	%
Other borrowings	4.25	%	4.07	%	4.14	%	4.09	%	2.48	%
Total non-deposit funding	5.68	%	5.49	%	5.96	%	5.63	%	5.40	%
Total funding (3)	3.79	%	3.65	%	3.50	%	3.10	%	2.83	%
Net interest spread	4.06	%	3.99	%	4.23	%	4.48	%	4.30	%
Net interest margin	4.10	%	4.03	%	4.26	%	4.50	%	4.32	%

(1) Interest and average rates are calculated on a tax-equivalent basis using an effective tax rate of 34%.

(2) Rate calculated based on average earning assets.

(3) Rate calculated based on average interest bearing liabilities.