[GRAPHIC OMITTED] NVB
                              North Valley Bancorp

North Valley Bank Announces $1.5 million investment in Senior Housing Crime
Prevention Foundation

April 27, 2005 - REDDING, CA.--(MARKETWIRE) - North Valley Bank, a subsidiary of
North Valley Bancorp, (Nasdaq:NOVB), today announced that North Valley Bank
("NVB") has made a $1.5 million investment in the Senior Housing Crime
Prevention Foundation ("SHCPF"). NVB is one of the first Banks in California to
sponsor the SHCPF.

         The SHCPF was established to insure the safety, security and protection
of nursing home and HUD senior housing residents against all aspects of crime,
and to provide an avenue for the banking community to receive qualified
Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA") credit through participation. The primary
objective of the SHCPF is to reduce all aspects of crime in the nation's senior
housing facilities and to provide ongoing, effective crime prevention programs
that ensure safe, secure and high quality of life environments for senior
housing residents. In part, the accomplishment of this objective involves
installing the highly successful Senior Crimestoppers Program in facilities who
are sponsored through CRA investments to the SHCPF. Nationally, the Senior
Crimestoppers Program has reduced all incidents of crime in participating
housing facilities by 90.3%.

         NVB made this $1.5 million investment for a five-year period, which
will provide the Senior Crimestoppers Program for residents in Shasta County and
Humboldt County. The specific nursing homes are in the process of being selected
for this beneficial program. Residents will receive access to the Senior
Crimestoppers Program, which includes personal lock boxes, workers compensation
fraud rewards, 24/7/365 tipline, educational materials, and cash rewards.

         North Valley Bancorp is a multi-bank holding company headquartered in
Redding, California. North Valley Bank ("NVB") operates twenty commercial
banking offices in Shasta, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino and Trinity Counties
in Northern California including two in-store supermarket branches and two
Business Banking Centers. NVB Business Bank operates five commercial banking
offices in Yolo, Solano, Sonoma, Placer and Mendocino Counties in Northern
California. North Valley Bancorp, through its subsidiary banks, offers a wide
range of consumer and business banking deposit products and services including
internet banking and cash management services. In addition to these depository
services, North Valley Bank engages in a full complement of lending activities
including consumer, commercial and real estate loans, with particular emphasis
on short and medium term loans and installment loans through the Dealer Finance
Division. NVB has SBA Preferred Lender status and provides investment services
to its customers through an affiliated relationship. Visit the Company's website
address at www.novb.com.

For further information contact:
Michael J. Cushman                           Edward J. Czajka
President & Chief Executive Officer          Executive Vice President &
(530) 226-2900  Fax: (530) 221-4877           Chief Financial Officer