EXHIBIT 31.1

                           SECTION 302 CERTIFICATION

I, Si Sokol, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of
                  Bancinsurance Corporation;

         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
                  l3a-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; and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer 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: November 13, 2003                               /s/ Si Sokol
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                                          Si Sokol
                                           Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                                (Principal Executive Officer)