Are we required to notify our regulator if we file a sar?

There is no requirement to notify your federal regulator, although in many cases, it makes sense to do so.

I understand that there are some states that require notification to state regulators - be sure to check with yours.

In the state of Georgia, we are required to copy a SAR to the state banking department when we send one to FinCEN.

I do not send a copy to our regulator, FDIC. And I have never had any problems.