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.