8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              Washington, DC 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):  September 8, 2003
                                                --------------------

                           Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc.
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


         Maryland                        0-19065                52-1532952
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(State or other jurisdiction        (Commission file          (IRS Employer
     of incorporation)                   number)          Identification Number)


  17801 Georgia Avenue, Olney, Maryland                     20832
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                  (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (301) 774-6400
                                                  -----------------


Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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(a)      Exhibit 99 -. Notice required by Rule 104(b)(2) of Regulation BTR

Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure.
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Item 11. Temporary Suspension of Trading Under Registrant's Employee Benefit
Plans.
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The notice provided in Exhibit 99, which is incorporated herein, is being
provided to executive officers and directors of the Registrant on September 8,
2003. The Registrant received notice of the dates of the blackout period on
September 2, 2003.



                                   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.

                                          SANDY SPRING BANCORP, INC.



                                          By:    /s/ Hunter R. Hollar
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                   Hunter R. Hollar
                                                   President and
                                                   Chief Executive Officer

Dated : September 8, 2003

EX-99

                                                                      EXHIBIT 99



             Blackout Notice to Directors and Executive Officers of
                Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. and Sandy Spring Bank

 Prohibition on Transactions in Sandy Spring Bancorp Common Stock and Grants and
        Exercises of Stock Options for Sandy Spring Bancorp Common Stock

                                September 8, 2003

This notice is to inform you that the Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. Cash & Deferred
Profit Sharing Plan will change record-keepers, effective October 1, 2003. As a
result of this change, plan participants will be unable to direct or change
their investment in or obtain a loan or investment from the plan during a
twenty-day period. This period is called a Blackout Period.


You are prohibited by Federal law from purchasing or selling shares of Sandy
Spring Bancorp common stock or receiving or exercising stock options for the
purchase of the common stock during the Blackout Period. There are limited
exceptions to the prohibition for certain purchases and sales of common stock
not acquired in connection with your service for Sandy Spring Bancorp or its
subsidiaries. Please ensure that you follow the advance notice requirements of
the insider trading policy and procedures if you desire to effect a transaction,
so that we may determine if the transaction would be lawful.


The Blackout Period for the plan is scheduled to begin on September 26, 2003 and
end at midnight on October 15, 2003. You will be notified if these dates change.


Federal law requires that you be furnished with this advance notice of the
Blackout Period.


If you have any questions concerning this notice, you should contact Rita
Woodward at 800-399-5919 x8344 or rwoodward@sandyspringbank.com, or Melissa
Schulze at 800-399-5919 x6254 or mschulze@sandyspringbank.com, or by mail to
them at Sandy Spring Bank, 17801 Georgia Avenue, Olney, Maryland 20832.