As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2002
                                                       Registration No. 333-
===============================================================================

                UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           --------------------------

                           RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

               Delaware                                  52-1217953
    (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                  Identification No.)

      1503 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
             Washington, D.C.                                20005
 (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip code)

                            RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION
                          2002 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
                              (Full title of the plan)

                             JOSEPH M. CAHILL, ESQ.
                                 General Counsel
                           Riggs National Corporation
                              800 17th Street, N.W.
                             Washington, D.C. 20006
                      (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (301) 887-6000
           (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         ------------------------------
                         Copy of all communications to:

                            Frank G. Zarb, Jr., Esq.
                           Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
                              1600 Tysons Boulevard
                           McLean, Virginia 22102-4824
                                 (703) 918-1000


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

===================================================================================================================================
<S>                               <C>                      <C>                     <C>                      <C>
                                                           Proposed Maximum           Proposed Maximum
    Title of securities            Amount to be             Offering Price               Aggregate                 Amount of
   to be registered (1)           Registered (1)           Per Share (1) (2)       Offering Price (1) (2)   Registration Fee (1) (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par value             9,143,879                    $15.505               $141,775,843.90              $35,443.96
$2.50 per share
===================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a), the number of shares of Common Stock being
registered shall be adjusted to include any additional shares which may become
issuable as a result of stock splits, stock dividends, or similar transactions
in accordance with the anti-dilution provisions of the 2002 Long-Term Incentive
Plan.

(2) Calculated pursuant to Rules 457(c) and (h), based upon the average of the
reported high and low sales prices for the Common Stock as reported on the
Nasdaq National Market for April 17, 2002.

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




<PAGE>


                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         On April 17, 2002, the shareholders of Riggs National Corporation (the
"Registrant") approved the Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive
Plan (the "2002 Plan"). The purpose of this Registration Statement is to
register an aggregate of 9,143,879 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock for
issuance under the 2002 Plan. The Registrant previously registered 1,250,000
shares authorized under the 1993 Stock Option Plan (the "1993 Plan"), 1,250,000
shares authorized under the 1994 Stock Option Plan (the "1994 Plan"), 9,000,000
shares authorized under the Riggs National Corporation 1996 Stock Option Plan
(the "1996 Plan"), and 600,000 shares authorized under the Riggs National
Corporation 1997 Non-Employee Directors Stock Option Plan, as amended (the "1997
Plan"), in earlier filed registration statements on Forms S-8 (Registration Nos.
33-51711, 33-56485, 333-14609, 333-50181, 333-50185 and 333-76281), of which
3,150 shares, 467,301, shares, 4,468,428 shares, and 205,000 shares,
respectively, remained unused as of December 31, 2001. These unused shares are
being "poured over" into the 2002 Plan and registered pursuant to this
Registration Statement, so that they may be used at a later date. The Registrant
does not intend to grant any more awards under the 1997 Plan, the 1996 Plan, the
1994 Plan or the 1993 Plan.

                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

Item 1.           Plan Information. *

Item 2.           Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information. *
----------------------------------------------
*        Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
         prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance
         with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the
         Introductory Note to Part I of Form S-8.


<PAGE>



                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.      Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
             ----------------------------------------

             The following documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") by the Registrant (File No. 0-9756) pursuant to
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), are
incorporated by reference in this Form S-8 Registration Statement (the
"Registration Statement") and made a part hereof:

             1.   The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 2001;

             2.   The Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on March
                  22, 2002; and

             3.   The description of Registrant's common stock, par value $2.50
per share (the "Common Stock"), contained in Registrant's Registration Statement
on Form S-3 (SEC File No. 33-50775) relating to 4,000,000 shares of Registrant's
10.75% Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B and 2,924,000 shares of
Registrant's Common Stock, as amended by Amendment No. 3 filed on December 16,
1993.

             All documents and reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this
Registration Statement, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents or reports. Any statement contained in a document or report
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to
be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified shall not
be deemed to constitute a part of the Registration Statement except as so
modified and any statement so superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a
part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.      Description of Securities.
             --------------------------

         The Common Stock to be offered pursuant to the 2002 Plan has been
registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, a description of
the Common Stock is not required herein.

<PAGE>


Item 5.      Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
             ---------------------------------------

             Not applicable.

Item 6.      Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
             ------------------------------------------

             Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, Article Eleventh of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and
Section 14.1 of the Registrant's Bylaws provide for indemnification of the
Registrant's directors and officers in a variety of circumstances which may
include liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act").

             The general effect of the provisions in the Registrant's
Certificate of Incorporation and Delaware General Corporation Law is to provide
that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with the defense or
settlement of any judicial or administrative proceedings in which they become
involved by reason of their status as directors or officers of the Registrant,
if they acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her
conduct was unlawful. With respect to legal proceedings by or in the right of
the Registrant in which a director or officer is adjudged liable for improper
performance of his or her duty to the Registrant or another enterprise which he
or she served in a similar capacity at the request of the Registrant,
indemnification is limited by such provisions to that amount which is permitted
by the court. In addition, the Registrant has purchased insurance as permitted
by Delaware law on behalf of directors, officers, employees or agents, which may
cover liabilities under the Securities Act.

             In addition, Article Eleventh of the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant will be personally
liable to the Registrant or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director. This provision does not eliminate or limit the
liability of a director for: (i) breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
corporation or its shareholders; (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or
that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) willful
or negligent conduct in paying illegal dividends or improperly purchasing or
redeeming the Registrant's own stock; or (iv) any transaction in which the
director obtains an improper personal benefit.

Item 7.      Exemption from Registration Claimed.
             ------------------------------------

             Not applicable.

<PAGE>


Item 8.      Exhibits.
             ---------

Exhibit Numbers           Exhibit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed herewith).

  23.1             Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Accountants
                   (filed herewith).

  23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed as part of
                   Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1             Power of Attorney (filed herewith).

  99.1             Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive Plan

Item 9.       Undertakings.
              -------------

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)
(3) of the Securities Act;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration
Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of
securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not
exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the
maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration
Fee" table in the effective registration statement.

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that subparagraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

<PAGE>


         (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered that remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.





<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Washington, D.C. on this 18th day of April 2002.

                                     RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION


                                     By: /s/ ROBERT L. ALLBRITTON
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Name:     Robert L. Allbritton
                                         Title:    Chairman of the Board and
                                                   Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:


Name                                 Title                            Date
----                                 -----                            ----


/S/ ROBERT L. ALLBRITTON
------------------------  Chairman of the Board and Chief        April 18, 2002
Robert L. Allbritton           Executive Officer
                          (Principal Executive Officer)

            *
------------------------    Vice Chairman of the Board           April 18, 2002
Joe L. Allbritton


            *
------------------------    Vice Chairman of the Board           April 18, 2002
Robert L. Sloan


/S/ TIMOTHY C. COUGHLIN
------------------------       President, Director               April 18, 2002
Timothy C. Coughlin

/S/ STEVEN T. TAMBURO
------------------------            Treasurer                    April 18, 2002
Steven T. Tamburo       (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                     Officer)


<PAGE>



Name                                 Title                            Date
----                                 -----                            ----

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
J. Carter Beese, Jr.

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Charles A. Camalier, III

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Lawrence I. Hebert


            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Steven B. Pfeiffer


            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Jack Valenti


            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
William L. Walton


            *
------------------------            Director                     April 18, 2002
Eddie N. Williams

* Joseph M. Cahill, by signing his name hereto, signs this document on behalf of
each of the persons indicated by an asterisk above pursuant to powers of
attorney duly executed by such persons and filed herewith with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

                                 /S/ JOSEPH M. CAHILL
                                 ----------------------------------
                                 Joseph M. Cahill, Attorney-in-Fact



<PAGE>




                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit Numbers           Exhibit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed herewith).

  23.1             Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Accountants
                   (filed herewith).

  23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed as part of
                   Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1             Power of Attorney (filed herewith).

  99.1             Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive Plan
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "s80402.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 19980}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RIGGS NATIONAL CORP", "cik": "0000350847", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "521217953", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-86590", "film-number": "02615220"}, "business-address": {"street1": "808 17TH STREET NW", "street2": "9TH FLOOR", "city": "WASHINGTON", "state": "DC", "zip": "20006", "phone": "3018876000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "808 17TH STREET NW", "street2": "9TH FLOOR", "city": "WASHINGTON", "state": "DC", "zip": "20005"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2002
                                                       Registration No. 333-
===============================================================================

                UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           --------------------------

                           RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

               Delaware                                  52-1217953
    (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                  Identification No.)

      1503 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
             Washington, D.C.                                20005
 (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip code)

                            RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION
                          2002 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
                              (Full title of the plan)

                             JOSEPH M. CAHILL, ESQ.
                                 General Counsel
                           Riggs National Corporation
                              800 17th Street, N.W.
                             Washington, D.C. 20006
                      (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (301) 887-6000
           (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         ------------------------------
                         Copy of all communications to:

                            Frank G. Zarb, Jr., Esq.
                           Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
                              1600 Tysons Boulevard
                           McLean, Virginia 22102-4824
                                 (703) 918-1000

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
===================================================================================================================================
Proposed Maximum           Proposed Maximum
    Title of securities            Amount to be             Offering Price               Aggregate                 Amount of
   to be registered (1)           Registered (1)           Per Share (1) (2)       Offering Price (1) (2)   Registration Fee (1) (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par value             9,143,879                    $15.505               $141,775,843.90              $35,443.96
$2.50 per share
===================================================================================================================================
(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a), the number of shares of Common Stock being
registered shall be adjusted to include any additional shares which may become
issuable as a result of stock splits, stock dividends, or similar transactions
in accordance with the anti-dilution provisions of the 2002 Long-Term Incentive
Plan.

(2) Calculated pursuant to Rules 457(c) and (h), based upon the average of the
reported high and low sales prices for the Common Stock as reported on the
Nasdaq National Market for April 17, 2002.

===============================================================================
EXPLANATORY NOTE

         On April 17, 2002, the shareholders of Riggs National Corporation (the
"Registrant") approved the Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive
Plan (the "2002 Plan"). The purpose of this Registration Statement is to
register an aggregate of 9,143,879 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock for
issuance under the 2002 Plan. The Registrant previously registered 1,250,000
shares authorized under the 1993 Stock Option Plan (the "1993 Plan"), 1,250,000
shares authorized under the 1994 Stock Option Plan (the "1994 Plan"), 9,000,000
shares authorized under the Riggs National Corporation 1996 Stock Option Plan
(the "1996 Plan"), and 600,000 shares authorized under the Riggs National
Corporation 1997 Non-Employee Directors Stock Option Plan, as amended (the "1997
Plan"), in earlier filed registration statements on Forms S-8 (Registration Nos.
33-51711, 33-56485, 333-14609, 333-50181, 333-50185 and 333-76281), of which
3,150 shares, 467,301, shares, 4,468,428 shares, and 205,000 shares,
respectively, remained unused as of December 31, 2001. These unused shares are
being "poured over" into the 2002 Plan and registered pursuant to this
Registration Statement, so that they may be used at a later date. The Registrant
does not intend to grant any more awards under the 1997 Plan, the 1996 Plan, the
1994 Plan or the 1993 Plan.

                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

Item 1.           Plan Information. *

Item 2.           Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information. *
----------------------------------------------
*        Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
         prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance
         with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the
         Introductory Note to Part I of Form S-8.
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.      Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
             ----------------------------------------

             The following documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") by the Registrant (File No. 0-9756) pursuant to
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), are
incorporated by reference in this Form S-8 Registration Statement (the
"Registration Statement") and made a part hereof:

             1.   The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 2001;

             2.   The Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on March
                  22, 2002; and

             3.   The description of Registrant's common stock, par value $2.50
per share (the "Common Stock"), contained in Registrant's Registration Statement
on Form S-3 (SEC File No. 33-50775) relating to 4,000,000 shares of Registrant's
10.75% Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B and 2,924,000 shares of
Registrant's Common Stock, as amended by Amendment No. 3 filed on December 16,
1993.

             All documents and reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this
Registration Statement, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents or reports. Any statement contained in a document or report
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to
be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified shall not
be deemed to constitute a part of the Registration Statement except as so
modified and any statement so superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a
part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.      Description of Securities.
             --------------------------

         The Common Stock to be offered pursuant to the 2002 Plan has been
registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, a description of
the Common Stock is not required herein.
Item 5.      Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
             ---------------------------------------

             Not applicable.

Item 6.      Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
             ------------------------------------------

             Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, Article Eleventh of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and
Section 14.1 of the Registrant's Bylaws provide for indemnification of the
Registrant's directors and officers in a variety of circumstances which may
include liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act").

             The general effect of the provisions in the Registrant's
Certificate of Incorporation and Delaware General Corporation Law is to provide
that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with the defense or
settlement of any judicial or administrative proceedings in which they become
involved by reason of their status as directors or officers of the Registrant,
if they acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her
conduct was unlawful. With respect to legal proceedings by or in the right of
the Registrant in which a director or officer is adjudged liable for improper
performance of his or her duty to the Registrant or another enterprise which he
or she served in a similar capacity at the request of the Registrant,
indemnification is limited by such provisions to that amount which is permitted
by the court. In addition, the Registrant has purchased insurance as permitted
by Delaware law on behalf of directors, officers, employees or agents, which may
cover liabilities under the Securities Act.

             In addition, Article Eleventh of the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant will be personally
liable to the Registrant or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director. This provision does not eliminate or limit the
liability of a director for: (i) breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
corporation or its shareholders; (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or
that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) willful
or negligent conduct in paying illegal dividends or improperly purchasing or
redeeming the Registrant's own stock; or (iv) any transaction in which the
director obtains an improper personal benefit.

Item 7.      Exemption from Registration Claimed.
             ------------------------------------

             Not applicable.
Item 8.      Exhibits.
             ---------

Exhibit Numbers           Exhibit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed herewith).

  23.1             Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Accountants
                   (filed herewith).

  23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed as part of
                   Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1             Power of Attorney (filed herewith).

  99.1             Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive Plan

Item 9.       Undertakings.
              -------------

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)
(3) of the Securities Act;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration
Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of
securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not
exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the
maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration
Fee" table in the effective registration statement.

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that subparagraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered that remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Washington, D.C. on this 18th day of April 2002.

                                     RIGGS NATIONAL CORPORATION

                                     By: /s/ ROBERT L. ALLBRITTON
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Name:     Robert L. Allbritton
                                         Title:    Chairman of the Board and
                                                   Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:

Name                                 Title                            Date
----                                 -----                            ----

/S/ ROBERT L. ALLBRITTON
------------------------  Chairman of the Board and Chief        April 18, 2002
Robert L. Allbritton           Executive Officer
                          (Principal Executive Officer)

            *
------------------------    Vice Chairman of the Board           April 18, 2002
Joe L. Allbritton

            *
------------------------    Vice Chairman of the Board           April 18, 2002
Robert L. Sloan

/S/ TIMOTHY C. COUGHLIN
------------------------       President, Director               April 18, 2002
Timothy C. Coughlin

/S/ STEVEN T. TAMBURO
------------------------            Treasurer                    April 18, 2002
Steven T. Tamburo       (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                     Officer)
Name                                 Title                            Date
----                                 -----                            ----

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
J. Carter Beese, Jr.

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Charles A. Camalier, III

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Lawrence I. Hebert

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Steven B. Pfeiffer

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
Jack Valenti

            *
------------------------           Director                      April 18, 2002
William L. Walton

            *
------------------------            Director                     April 18, 2002
Eddie N. Williams

* Joseph M. Cahill, by signing his name hereto, signs this document on behalf of
each of the persons indicated by an asterisk above pursuant to powers of
attorney duly executed by such persons and filed herewith with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

                                 /S/ JOSEPH M. CAHILL
                                 ----------------------------------
                                 Joseph M. Cahill, Attorney-in-Fact
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Numbers           Exhibit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed herewith).

  23.1             Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Accountants
                   (filed herewith).

  23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (filed as part of
                   Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1             Power of Attorney (filed herewith).

  99.1             Riggs National Corporation 2002 Long-Term Incentive Plan