<PAGE>

===========================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       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: August 30, 1999


                             REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP
            (Exact number of Registrant as specified in its charter)



              California               File No. 0-19231         68-0166366
   (State or other jurisdiction of  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer)
    Incorporated or organization)                            Identification No.)



         111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, California           95404-4905
         (Address of principal executive offices)                (Zip Code)



       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (707) 573-4800





===========================================================================


<PAGE>

Item 5.  Other Events

Press releases for the following (article attached):

      Redwood Empire  Bancorp  announces  divestiture of mortgage  brokerage and
mortgage banking units.












                                   SIGNATURES



         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.



            8/30/99
Date:  ___________________             REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP
                                            (Registrant)



                                       By:  /s/ James E. Beckwith
                                            ---------------------
                                            James E. Beckwith
                                            Executive Vice President and
                                            Chief Operating Officer


<PAGE>


                             FOR:                REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP

                             APPROVED BY:        James E. Beckwith
                                                 Executive Vice President and
                                                 Chief Operating Officer
                                                 (707) 522-5215
For Immediate Release


                 REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP ANNOUNCES DIVESTITURE OF
                  MORTAGE BROKERAGE AND MORTGAGE BANKING UNITS

SANTA ROSA,  Calif.  (August 30, 1999) -- Redwood Empire Bancorp (Nasdaq:  REBC)
today  reported  that it has entered  into an  agreement  in principal to divest
itself of its mortgage  brokerage and mortgage  banking units,  Valley Financial
and Allied  Diversified  Credit,  effective  September 10, 1999. The divestiture
will take the form of an asset sale and  employee  transfer to Valley  Financial
Funding,  Inc., whose shareholders include senior management of Valley Financial
and Allied Diversified  Credit.  Valley Financial  Funding,  Inc. will affiliate
with Prism Financial  Corporation,  one of the nation's  largest retail mortgage
originators.  The Company  intends to utilize Valley  Financial  Funding Inc. to
provide  mortgage  lending  services  to its  customers.  "We  believe  that our
shareholders  are well served by this action,"  said Tom  Whitaker,  Chairman of
Redwood Empire Bancorp.

As a result of the  divestiture,  Redwood Empire  Bancorp will lose  ninety-five
employees of which sixty-three will be transferred to Valley Financial  Funding,
Inc. while thirty-two will be terminated by the Company. The Company will take a
restructuring  charge of approximately  $300,000 in the third quarter,  which is
primarily  comprised  of  termination  benefits.  Assets  to be sold by the Bank
include certain assets held within the mortgage banking  operation.  The Company
will sell these assets at book value.

Redwood Empire Bancorp is the holding company for National Bank of the Redwoods,
a commercial  bank. The Company  operates  through  branches and loan production
offices in various northern California locations.

The statements  contained in this release,  which are not historical  facts, are
forward-looking  statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties.  Actual
results  may  differ   materially   from  those  set  forth  in  or  implied  by
forward-looking   statements.   These  risks  are  described  in  the  Company's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings.


                                      # # #
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "PRESS RELEASE", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4670}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP", "cik": "0000840007", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "680166366", "state-of-incorporation": "CA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-10868", "film-number": "99703674"}, "business-address": {"street1": "111 SANTA ROSA AVENUE", "city": "SANTA ROSA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95404-4905", "phone": "7075734800"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "111 SANTA ROSA AVENUE", "city": "SANTA ROSA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95404-4905"}}
===========================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       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: August 30, 1999

                             REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP
            (Exact number of Registrant as specified in its charter)

              California               File No. 0-19231         68-0166366
   (State or other jurisdiction of  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer)
    Incorporated or organization)                            Identification No.)

         111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, California           95404-4905
         (Address of principal executive offices)                (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (707) 573-4800

===========================================================================
Item 5.  Other Events

Press releases for the following (article attached):

      Redwood Empire  Bancorp  announces  divestiture of mortgage  brokerage and
mortgage banking units.

                                   SIGNATURES

         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.

            8/30/99
Date:  ___________________             REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP
                                            (Registrant)

                                       By:  /s/ James E. Beckwith
                                            ---------------------
                                            James E. Beckwith
                                            Executive Vice President and
                                            Chief Operating Officer
FOR:                REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP

                             APPROVED BY:        James E. Beckwith
                                                 Executive Vice President and
                                                 Chief Operating Officer
                                                 (707) 522-5215
For Immediate Release

                 REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP ANNOUNCES DIVESTITURE OF
                  MORTAGE BROKERAGE AND MORTGAGE BANKING UNITS

SANTA ROSA,  Calif.  (August 30, 1999) -- Redwood Empire Bancorp (Nasdaq:  REBC)
today  reported  that it has entered  into an  agreement  in principal to divest
itself of its mortgage  brokerage and mortgage  banking units,  Valley Financial
and Allied  Diversified  Credit,  effective  September 10, 1999. The divestiture
will take the form of an asset sale and  employee  transfer to Valley  Financial
Funding,  Inc., whose shareholders include senior management of Valley Financial
and Allied Diversified  Credit.  Valley Financial  Funding,  Inc. will affiliate
with Prism Financial  Corporation,  one of the nation's  largest retail mortgage
originators.  The Company  intends to utilize Valley  Financial  Funding Inc. to
provide  mortgage  lending  services  to its  customers.  "We  believe  that our
shareholders  are well served by this action,"  said Tom  Whitaker,  Chairman of
Redwood Empire Bancorp.

As a result of the  divestiture,  Redwood Empire  Bancorp will lose  ninety-five
employees of which sixty-three will be transferred to Valley Financial  Funding,
Inc. while thirty-two will be terminated by the Company. The Company will take a
restructuring  charge of approximately  $300,000 in the third quarter,  which is
primarily  comprised  of  termination  benefits.  Assets  to be sold by the Bank
include certain assets held within the mortgage banking  operation.  The Company
will sell these assets at book value.

Redwood Empire Bancorp is the holding company for National Bank of the Redwoods,
a commercial  bank. The Company  operates  through  branches and loan production
offices in various northern California locations.

The statements  contained in this release,  which are not historical  facts, are
forward-looking  statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties.  Actual
results  may  differ   materially   from  those  set  forth  in  or  implied  by
forward-looking   statements.   These  risks  are  described  in  the  Company's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

                                      # # #