November 27, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     CONTACT: John Jelavich
                                                          (530) 674-6025


              CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT BANCORP COMMENCES ITS OFFER TO
      PURCHASE UP TO 200,000 SHARES OF ITS COMMON STOCK AT $22.00 TO $25.00
                                   PER SHARE

Yuba City,  CA - November 27, 2002 - California  Independent  Bancorp  (NASDAQ -
CIBN), commenced a "Dutch Auction" Tender Offer to purchase up to 200,000 shares
of its outstanding common stock at a price per share of not less than $22.00 nor
more than $25.00 per share.  Today,  all  shareholders  were mailed the offer to
purchase  including  the terms of the offer  and  instructions  on how to tender
their shares. The tender offer is expected to expire,  unless extended,  at 5:00
p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on December 30, 2002.

Under the tender offer,  CIBN  shareholders  will have the opportunity to tender
some or all of their shares at a price within $22.00 to $25.00 per share.  Based
on the number of shares  tendered  and the  prices  specified  by the  tendering
shareholders,  the Company will set the  purchase  price at the lowest per share
price within the range that will enable it to buy 200,000 shares, or such lesser
number  of shares  that are  properly  tendered.  If  shareholders  of more than
200,000 shares properly tender their shares at or below the determined price per
share,  the Company will purchase shares tendered by such  shareholders,  at the
determined price per share, on a pro rata basis.  Shareholders  whose shares are
purchased in the offer will be paid the determined  purchase price per share net
in cash,  without interest,  after the expiration of the offer period. The offer
is not contingent upon any minimum number of shares being tendered. The offer is
subject  to a number of other  terms and  conditions  specified  in the offer to
purchase that will be distributed to shareholders.

Shareholders  who have  questions or need  assistance  may call the  Information
Agent for the Offer,  Georgeson  Shareholder  Communications,  at the  following
address and telephone numbers:  17 State Street,  10th Floor, New York, New York
10004.  Banks and Brokers may call collect at (212) 440-9800.  All other callers
may call toll free at (866)  295-4325.  If you own your shares through a broker,
he or she should be able to assist you as well.

Neither the Company,  its Board of Directors,  nor Information  Agent, is making
any  recommendation  to  shareholders  as to whether  to tender or refrain  from
tendering  their shares in the tender offer.  Shareholders  must decide how many
shares they will tender,  if any, and the price within the stated range at which
they will offer their shares for purchase by the Company.

Shareholders  and  investors  should read  carefully  the offer to purchase  and
related materials because they contain important  information.  Shareholders and
investors  may obtain a free copy of the offer to purchase  and other  documents
filed by the Company with the Securities  and Exchange  Commission by contacting
the Company's Information Agent, Georgeson Shareholder Communications or through





the Securities and Exchange  Commission's web site at www.sec.gov.  Shareholders
are urged to carefully  read these  materials  prior to making any decision with
respect to the offer.

California Independent Bancorp, through its subsidiary Feather River State Bank,
engages in a broad range of financial service activities.  Its primary market is
in the Sacramento  Valley,  with nine branches in Yuba City,  Arbuckle,  Colusa,
Marysville,  Wheatland,  Woodland,  Lincoln,  and Roseville,  California serving
Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, Yolo, and Placer counties.