8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


          Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 9, 1997


                                 REGENCY BANCORP
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


California                           33-82150                   77-0378956
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number)          (IRS Employer of
incorporation)                                               Identification No.)


7060 N. Fresno, Fresno, California                                  93720
(Address of principal executive offices)                         (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:   (209) 438-2600


                                 Not Applicable
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report).


                                                               Page 1 of 6 pages


                                                 The Exhibit Index is on Page 4.




Item 5.        OTHER EVENTS.

               None

Item 6.        RESIGNATIONS OF REGISTRANT'S DIRECTORS

               None

Item 7.        FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

          (a)  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

               Not Applicable.

          (b)  PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

               Not Applicable.

          (c)  EXHIBITS.

               (99.1)   Press Release dated May 9, 1997.



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                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        REGENCY BANCORP



                                        /s/ Steven Hertel
Date:     May 14, 1997                  ----------------------------
                                        Steven F. Hertel
                                        President


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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

                                                                     Sequential
Exhibit No.                       Description                         Page No.
- -----------                       -----------                        ----------

99.1                           Press Release dated                       5-6
                                  May 9, 1997



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EX-99.1

                                                        EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Wil Goodrich, Vice President-Director of Marketing (209) 438-2600

                 REGENCY BANCORP ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER RESULTS
     FRESNO, MAY 9 -- Fresno based Regency Bancorp, holding company parent of
Regency Bank, announced this week that it earned $235 thousand from its
consolidated operations during the first quarter of 1997.  It also announced
that total assets continued at a record level, $181.6 million, up from $181.1
million at the end of last year, a growth of 8.9% from $166.7 million a year
earlier.

     Steve Hertel, the company's board chairman and chief executive officer,
said, "We continue to be burdened with the costs of divesting the real estate
investment activities of our subsidiary, Regency Service Corporation (RSC).  As
a result, the company's first quarter income was down from the $322 thousand
earned in the first quarter of 1996.

     "Pre-tax income for Regency Bank and the holding company's other
subsidiary, Regency Investment Advisors, Inc. (RIA)," he continued, "was up 3.7%
to $929 thousand for this year's first quarter.  However, RSC's pre-tax loss was
$487 thousand which reduced Regency Bancorp's consolidated net income after
tax."

     Total deposits at the end of the first quarter of 1997 were $161.5 
million, up 14.3% from $141.3 million a year ago.  Net loans were down 
slightly from $99.2 million at the end of 1996's first quarter to $98.2 
million on March 31, 1997.  Total equity rose 6.1% to $13.9 million from 
$13.1 million a year earlier.

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     "Regency Bank and our money management subsidiary, RIA, continued to
perform at a level that provided the holding company with the financial support
necessary to deal with divestiture issues," Hertel said. "RIA, which was formed
in August of 1993, and provides fee-only investment management and consulting
services, had its pre-tax income grow 820% over the previous 12 months.  This
significant increase resulted from both the retirement of its acquisition cost
and its ability to increase income through the growing volume of assets under
management."

     As of March 31, 1997, RIA had $78.9 million in assets under management, an
increase of 23.3% compared to $64 million a year earlier.

     "Our growth," said RIA President, Alan Graas, "is a direct result of strong
performance, and serving a market with distinct financial needs.  We provide
tailored investment management, free of bias and commissions to individuals and
business clients for a quarterly fee.  We have also seen a sharp rise in our
hourly financial consulting service which provides specific advice on a broad
array of topics such as retirement planning, tax reduction strategies, and asset
protection."

     Regency Bancorp is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and 401K company
whose employee-owners, as a group, are the company's largest shareholder block
with almost 13.2% of the holding company's common stock in their two plans. 
Primarily central valley families and investors own the remainder of the stock. 
It's traded over the counter under the symbol, REFN, through four market makers:
Banc Stock Financial Services, Hoefer & Arnett, Sutro & Co., and Van Kasper & 
Co.

                                      # # #

May 9, 1997


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