SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    Form 8-K



                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934



          Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 9, 2003



                                HUMBOLDT BANCORP
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


  California                       0-27784                       93-1175446
  ----------                       -------                       ----------
(State or other                  (Commission                  (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of                  File Number)                Identification No.)
incorporation or
 organization)




                        2998 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 330
                               Roseville, CA 95661
                                  916.677.1133
          (Address and telephone number of principal executive offices)


                                       1
<PAGE>


Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure

     On May 9, 2003, the Chief Executive  Officer and Chief Financial Officer of
Humboldt Bancorp (the "Company") each submitted the  certifications  required by
Section 906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 in connection with the filing of
the  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2003.
Copies of the  foregoing  certifications  are attached  hereto as exhibits.  The
certifications  required  pursuant to Section 302 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of
2002 are being filed as part of the Form 10-Q.

     SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Dated: May 9, 2003                                   HUMBOLDT BANCORP,
                                                     a California Corporation


                                                     /s/  Patrick J. Rusnak
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Patrick J. Rusnak
                                                     Chief Financial Officer


                                       2
<PAGE>


Exhibit Index

99.1     Certification of Form 10-Q by Chief Executive Officer
99.2     Certification of Form 10-Q by Chief Financial Officer
















                                       3
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "form8kfor050903.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 2578}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "HUMBOLDT BANCORP", "cik": "0001008554", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "931175446", "state-of-incorporation": "CA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-27784", "film-number": "03693564"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2440 SIXTH STREET", "city": "EUREKA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95501", "phone": "7074453233"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "2440 SIXTH STREET", "city": "EUREKA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95501"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    Form 8-K

                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

          Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 9, 2003

                                HUMBOLDT BANCORP
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  California                       0-27784                       93-1175446
  ----------                       -------                       ----------
(State or other                  (Commission                  (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of                  File Number)                Identification No.)
incorporation or
 organization)

                        2998 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 330
                               Roseville, CA 95661
                                  916.677.1133
          (Address and telephone number of principal executive offices)

                                       1
Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure

     On May 9, 2003, the Chief Executive  Officer and Chief Financial Officer of
Humboldt Bancorp (the "Company") each submitted the  certifications  required by
Section 906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 in connection with the filing of
the  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2003.
Copies of the  foregoing  certifications  are attached  hereto as exhibits.  The
certifications  required  pursuant to Section 302 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of
2002 are being filed as part of the Form 10-Q.

     SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: May 9, 2003                                   HUMBOLDT BANCORP,
                                                     a California Corporation

                                                     /s/  Patrick J. Rusnak
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Patrick J. Rusnak
                                                     Chief Financial Officer

                                       2
Exhibit Index

99.1     Certification of Form 10-Q by Chief Executive Officer
99.2     Certification of Form 10-Q by Chief Financial Officer

                                       3