Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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CONTACT:
Edward J. Lawson, President and Chairman, 21st Century Holding Company
(954) 308-1257 or (954) 581-9993


                          21st CENTURY HOLDING COMPANY
           RAISES GUIDANCE AND FORECASTS RECORD FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS

      Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, April 22, 2005 - 21st Century Holding Company
(NASDAQ: TCHC), an insurance holding company, reported today that it is raising
its first quarter guidance from $0.70 - $0.75 per share to $0.80 - $0.85 per
share as a result of record revenues in the first quarter of 2005. The Company
will release its first quarter 2005 financial results after the market closes on
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 followed by an investor conference call at 4:30 PM
(ET).

      The Company's Chairman and President, Edward J. Lawson, and its CEO,
Richard A. Widdicombe, will discuss the financial results and review the outlook
for the Company. Messrs. Lawson and Widdicombe invite interested parties to
participate in the conference call. Listeners can access the conference call by
dialing toll free 888-460-6235. Please call at least five minutes in advance to
ensure that you are connected prior to the presentation.

About the Company

      The Company, through its subsidiaries, underwrites standard and
non-standard personal automobile insurance, flood insurance, general liability
insurance, mobile home insurance and homeowners' property and casualty insurance
in the State of Florida. The Company underwrites general liability coverage as
an admitted carrier in the States of Louisiana, Texas and Alabama for more than
300 classes of business, including special events, as well as homeowners'
coverage in the State of Louisiana. The Company also operates as an approved
(non-admitted) carrier in the States of Georgia and Kentucky offering the same
general liability products. In addition, the Company has underwriting authority
and processes claims for third party insurance companies. In addition to
insurance services, the Company offers premium finance services to its insureds
as well as insureds of certain third party insurance companies.

      Safe harbor statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: Statements in this press release that are not historical fact are
forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those
discussed herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such
as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would,"
"estimate," or "continue" or the other negative variations thereof or comparable
terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The risks and
uncertainties include, without limitation, uncertainties related to estimates,
assumptions and projections generally; inflation and other changes in economic
conditions (including changes in interest rates and financial markets); pricing
competition and other initiatives by competitors; ability to obtain regulatory
approval for applications to underwrite in an additional jurisdiction or for
requested rate changes, and the timing thereof; legislative and regulatory
developments; the outcome of litigation pending against the Company and any
settlement thereof; risks related to the nature of the Company's business;
dependence on investment income and the composition of the Company's investment
portfolio; the adequacy of the Company's liability for loss and loss adjustment
expense; insurance agents; claims experience; limited experience in the
insurance industry; ratings by industry services; catastrophe losses; reliance
on key personnel; weather conditions (including the severity and frequency of
storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and hail); changes in driving patterns and loss
trends; acts of war and terrorist activities; court decisions and trends in
litigation, and health care and auto repair costs; and other matters described
from time to time by the Company in releases and publications, and in periodic
reports and other documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission. In addition, investors should be aware that generally accepted
accounting principles prescribe when a company may reserve for particular risks,
including litigation exposures. Accordingly, results for a given reporting
period could be significantly affected if and when a reserve is established for
a major contingency. Reported results may therefore appear to be volatile in
certain accounting periods.

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