EXHIBIT 4.2

                                                                       Exhibit A

                          CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION

                                       of

                            SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK

                                       of

                                NORTH BAY BANCORP

                         (Pursuant to Section 401 of the

                       California General Corporation Law)

      Terry L. Robinson and Wyman G. Smith III hereby certify that:

      A.  They are the  President  and  Secretary,  respectively,  of North  Bay
Bancorp, a California corporation (the "Corporation").

      B. The authorized number of shares of Preferred Stock is 500,000,  none of
which have been issued.  The  authorized  number of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock is 100,000, none of which have been issued.

      C. Pursuant to the authority  conferred upon the Board of Directors by the
Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation,  and pursuant to the provisions of
Section  401 of the  General  Corporation  Law of the State of  California  (the
"GCL"),  the Board of  Directors,  at a meeting  duly held on October 28,  2002,
adopted  resolutions  providing for the  designation and issuance of a series of
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND  (100,000) shares of Series A Preferred Stock,  without par
value (the "Series A Preferred Stock").

      D. The  Certificate  of  Determination  creating the rights,  preferences,
privileges and restrictions of the Series A Preferred Stock reads as follows:

            Section 1.  Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall
be designated as "Series A Preferred Stock" (the "Series A Preferred Stock") and
the number of shares  constituting  the Series A  Preferred  Stock  shall be ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND (100,000).  Such number of shares may be increased or decreased
by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce
the  number  of shares of  Series A  Preferred  Stock to a number  less than the
number of shares  then  outstanding  plus the  number  of  shares  reserved  for
issuance upon the exercise of outstanding,  options,  rights or warrants or upon
the  conversion  of  any  outstanding   securities  issued  by  the  Corporation
convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.


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            Section 2. Dividends and Distributions. (A) Subject to the rights of
the  holders  of any  shares of any series of  Preferred  Stock (or any  similar
stock)  ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred  Stock with respect
to dividends,  the holders of shares of Series A Preferred  Stock, in preference
to the  holders of Common  Stock,  no par value  (the  "Common  Stock"),  of the
Corporation,  and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when,
as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally  available for
the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of March, June,
September and December in each year (each such date being, referred to herein as
a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment  Date  after the first  issuance  of a share or  fraction  of a share of
Series A Preferred  Stock,  in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent)
equal to the greater of (a) $0.25 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and
the  aggregate per share amount  (payable in kind) of all non-cash  dividends or
other distributions,  other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or
a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by  reclassification or
otherwise),  declared  on the  Common  Stock  since  the  immediately  preceding
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment  Date,  since the first  issuance of any share or fraction of a share of
Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare
or pay any dividend on the Common Stock  payable in shares of Common  Stock,  or
effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation  of the outstanding  shares
of Common Stock (by  reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend
in shares of Common  Stock) into a greater or lesser  number of shares of Common
Stock,  then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock were entitled  immediately  prior to such event under clause (b)
of the  preceding  sentence  shall be adjusted by  multiplying  such amount by a
fraction,  the  numerator  of which is the  number of  shares  of  Common  Stock
outstanding  immediately  after such event and the  denominator  of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.

            (B) The Corporation  shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series  A  Preferred  Stock  as  provided  in  paragraph  (A)  of  this  Section
immediately  after it declares a dividend or  distribution  on the Common  Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock);  provided that in the
event no dividend or  distribution  shall have been declared on the Common Stock
during the period  between  any  Quarterly  Dividend  Payment  Date and the next
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.25 per share on the
Series A  Preferred  Stock  shall  nevertheless  be payable  on such  subsequent
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

            (C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding  the date of issue of such  shares,  unless  the date of issue of such
shares is prior to the  record  date for the first  Quarterly  Dividend  Payment
Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date
of issue of such  shares,  or unless the date of issue is a  Quarterly  Dividend
Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders
of shares of Series A Preferred  Stock entitled to receive a quarterly  dividend
and before such Quarterly  Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative  from such Quarterly  Dividend
Payment Date.  Accrued but unpaid  dividends shall not bear interest.  Dividends
paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less


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than the total amount of such  dividends at the time accrued and payable on such
shares  shall be  allocated  pro rata on a  share-by-share  basis among all such
shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for
the  determination  of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to
receive payment of a dividend or  distribution  declared  thereon,  which record
date shall be not less than 10 nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for
the payment thereof.

            Section  3.  Voting  Rights.  The  holders  of  shares  of  Series A
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

            (A) Each share of Series A Preferred  Stock shall entitle the holder
thereof to one vote on all matters  submitted to a vote of the  shareholders  of
the Corporation.

            (B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of
Determination  creating a series of Preferred  Stock or any similar stock, or by
law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares
of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the  Corporation  having  general
voting  rights  shall vote  together as one class on all matters  submitted to a
vote of shareholders of the Corporation.

            Section 4. Certain Restrictions. (A) Whenever quarterly dividends or
other  dividends  or  distributions  payable on the Series A Preferred  Stock as
provided  in Section 2 are in  arrears,  thereafter  and until all  accrued  and
unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series
A Preferred  Stock  outstanding  shall have been paid in fall,  the  Corporation
shall not:

                  (i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions,
            on any shares of stock  ranking  junior  (either as to  dividends or
            upon  liquidation,  dissolution  or  winding  up)  to the  Series  A
            Preferred Stock;

                  (ii)   declare   or  pay   dividends,   or  make   any   other
            distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as
            to dividends or upon liquidation dissolution or winding up) with the
            Series A  Preferred  Stock,  except  dividends  paid  ratably on the
            Series  A  Preferred  Stock  and all  such  parity  stock  on  which
            dividends  are  payable  or in arrears  in  proportion  to the total
            amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

                  (iii)   redeem  or   purchase   or   otherwise   acquire   for
            consideration  shares  of any stock  ranking  junior  (either  as to
            dividends  or upon  liquidation,  dissolution  or winding up) to the
            Series A Preferred  Stock,  provided that the Corporation may at any
            time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior
            stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking
            Junior (either as to dividends or upon  dissolution,  liquidation or
            winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

                  (iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
            any  shares  of Series A  Preferred  Stock,  or any  shares of stock
            ranking on a parity  with the Series A  Preferred  Stock,  except in
            accordance  with a purchase  offer made in writing or by publication
            (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders


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            of such  shares  upon such  terms as the Board of  Directors,  after
            consideration  of the  respective  annual  dividend  rates and other
            relative  rights  and  preferences  of  the  respective  series  and
            classes,  shall  determine  in good  faith  will  result in fair and
            equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

            (B)  The  Corporation   shall  not  permit  any  subsidiary  of  the
Corporation  to purchase or otherwise  acquire for  consideration  any shares of
stock of the Corporation  unless the Corporation  could,  under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4,  purchase or  otherwise  acquire such shares at such time and in
such mariner.

            Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased  or otherwise  acquired by the  Corporation  in any manner  whatsoever
shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition  thereof. All such
shares shall upon their  cancellation  become  authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred  Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred  Stock
subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein,  in the
Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Determination creating
a series of Preferred  Stock or any similar  stock or as  otherwise  required by
law.

            Section  6.  Liquidation.   Dissolution  or  Winding  Up.  Upon  any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall
be made (1) to the  holders  of shares of stock  ranking  junior  (either  as to
dividends  or upon  liquidation,  dissolution  or  winding  up) to the  Series A
Preferred  Stock  unless,  prior  thereto,  the  holders  of  shares of Series A
Preferred  Stock shall have received an amount per share equal to $100.00,  plus
an amount  equal to accrued  and unpaid  dividends  and  distributions  thereon,
whether or not declared, to the date of such payment,  provided that the holders
of shares of Series A Preferred  Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate
amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
equal to the aggregate  amount to be distributed  per share to holders of shares
of Common  Stock,  or (2) to the holders of shares of stock  ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Preferred  Stock,  except  distributions  made  ratably on the Series A
Preferred  Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to
which the  holders  of all such  shares  are  entitled  upon  such  liquidation,
dissolution  or  winding  up.  In the event  the  Corporation  shall at any time
declare  or pay any  dividend  on the Common  Stock  payable in shares of Common
Stock,  or  effect  a  subdivision  or  combination  or   consolidation  of  the
outstanding  shares of Common Stock (by  reclassification  or otherwise  than by
payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock,  then in each such case the aggregate amount to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event under the proviso in clause (1) of the  preceding  sentence  shall be
adjusted by multiplying  such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock  outstanding  immediately  after such event and
the  denominator  of which is the  number of shares  of Common  Stock  that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

            Section 7. Consolidation. Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation,  merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common  Stock are  exchanged  for or changed  into other  stock or
securities,  cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of
Series A  Preferred  Stock  shall at the same  time be  similarly  exchanged  or
changed into an amount per share subject to the provision for adjustment


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hereinafter set forth equal to the aggregate amount of stock,  securities,  cash
and/or any other property  (payable in kind),  as the case may be, into which or
for which each share of Common Stock is changed or  exchanged.  In the event the
Corporation  shall at any time  declare or pay any  dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock,  or effect a subdivision  or  combination  or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by  reclassification or
otherwise  than by  payment  of a  dividend  in shares of Common  Stock)  into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common  Stock,  then in each such case the
amount set forth in the  preceding  sentence  with  respect to the  exchange  or
change of shares of Series A Preferred  Stock  shall be adjusted by  multiplying
such amount by a  fraction,  the  numerator  of which is the number of shares of
Common Stock  outstanding  immediately  after such event and the  denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding  immediately
prior to such event.

            Section 8. Redemption.  The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
not be redeemable.

            Section 9. Rank.  The Series A  Preferred  Stock  shall  rank,  with
respect to the payment of dividends and the  distribution  of assets,  junior to
all other series of the Corporation's  Preferred Stock,  unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.

            Section 10. Amendment.  The Articles of Incorporation (including any
Certificate of Determination issued under the authority of said Articles) of the
Corporation  shall not be amended in any manner which would  materially alter or
change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock
so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at
least two-thirds of the outstanding  shares of Series A Preferred Stock,  voting
together as a single series.

            E. The foregoing Certificate of Determination has been duly approved
by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

            F. None of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock  authorized by the
foregoing Certificate of Determination has been issued.

            The  undersigned  have executed this  certificate  and declare under
penalty of perjury  under the laws of the State of  California  that the matters
set forth in this Certificate are true and correct of their own knowledge.

Date: October 28, 2002

                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Terry L. Robinson, President

                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Wyman G. Smith III, Secretary


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