10-K/A

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K/A

(Amendment No. 1)

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

or

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________________________ to ______________________________ ________

Commission File No. 0-31525

AMERICAN RIVER BANKSHARES

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

California	68-0352144
State or other jurisdiction of	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization

3100 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova, California	95670
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code 916-851-0123

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class	Name of Each Exchange On Which Registered
Common Stock, no par value	NASDAQ Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer o	Accelerated filer x
Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company o
	Emerging growth company o

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No x

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. $88,881,000.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

As of February 26, 2018, the registrant’s no par value Common Stock totaled 6,050,924 shares outstanding.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The sole purpose of this Amendment No. 1 (the “Amendment”) to American River Bankshares Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) for the Period ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2018, is to revise the hyperlink in Exhibit 10.3 in Item 15.

The revised hyperlink in Exhibit 10.3 is for the first amendment thereto dated January 21, 2015, incorporated by reference from Exhibit 99.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 23, 2015. This Amendment contains only the cover page to this Form 10-K/A, the Explanatory Note, Item 15, the Signature Page and the Sarbanes-Oxley Exhibits. No other changes have been made to the Form 10-K.

This Amendment to the Form 10-K does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the original filing date and does not modify or update in any way disclosures made in the original Form 10-K. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC.

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Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)	(3) Exhibits.
	Exhibit Number	Document Description
	*(10.3)	Registrant’s Deferred Compensation Plan, incorporated by reference from Exhibit 99.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 3, 2012 and first amendment thereto dated January 21, 2015, incorporated by reference from Exhibit 99.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 23, 2015.

* Denotes management contracts, compensatory plans or arrangements.

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 SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	AMERICAN RIVER BANKSHARES
November 7, 2018	By: /s/ DAVID E. RITCHIE, JR.
	David E. Ritchie, Jr.
	Chief Executive Officer
	(Principal Executive Officer)
November 7, 2018	By: /s/ MITCHELL A. DERENZO
	Mitchell A. Derenzo
	Chief Financial Officer
	(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ KIMBERLY A.BOX	Director	10/28/18
Kimberly A. Box
/s/ CHARLES D. FITE	Director, Chairman	11/07/18
Charles D. Fite
/s/ JEFFERY OWENSBY	Director	10/26/18
Jeffery Owensby
/s/ DAVID E. RITCHIE, JR.	Director, Chief Executive Officer	11/07/18
David E. Ritchie, Jr.	(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ STEPHEN H. WAKS	Director	10/25/18
Stephen H. Waks
/s/ PHILIP A. WRIGHT	Director	10/29/18
Philip A. Wright
/s/ MICHAEL A. ZIEGLER	Director	10/25/18
Michael A. Ziegler
/s/ MITCHELL A. DERENZO	Chief Financial Officer	11/07/18
Mitchell A. Derenzo	(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description	Page
31.1	Certifications of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	6
31.2	Certifications of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	7
32.1	Certification of American River Bankshares Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	8

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EX-31.1

EXHIBIT 31.1

Certifications under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, David R. Ritchie, Jr., certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K/A of American River Bankshares;
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(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) 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) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) 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

(d) 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 (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) 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(s) 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 the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(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 7, 2018

By: /s/ DAVID E. RITCHIE, JR.

President and Chief Executive Officer

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EX-31.2

EXHIBIT 31.2

Certifications under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Mitchell A. Derenzo, certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K/A of American River Bankshares;
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(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) 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) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) 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

(d) 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 (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) 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(s) 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 the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(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 7, 2018

By: /s/ MITCHELL A. DERENZO

Executive Vice President

and Chief Financial Officer

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EX-32.1

EXHIBIT 32.1

Certification of American River Bankshares
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
regarding Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (subsections (a) and (b) of section 1350, chapter 63 of title 18, United States Code), each of the undersigned officers of American River Bankshares, a California corporation (the “Company”), does hereby certify that:

1.	The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the “Form 10- K”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2.	Information contained in the Form 10-K/A fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Dated: November 7, 2018	By: /s/ DAVID E. RITCHIE, JR.
	David E. Ritchie, Jr.
	President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated: November 7, 2018	By: /s/ MITCHELL A. DERENZO
	Mitchell A. Derenzo
	Executive Vice President and
	Chief Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to American River Bankshares and will be retained by American River Bankshares and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

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