<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001200579-03-000001
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030523
<FILING-DATE>20030603
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>HODGES GEORGE W
<CIK>0001200579
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-10587
<FILM-NUMBER>03729874
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<STREET2>ONE PENN SQUARE
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17602
<PHONE>7176722089
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<CIK>0000700564
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6021
<IRS-NUMBER>232195389
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>PA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
<PHONE>7172912411
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-23</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000700564</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FULT</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001200579</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HODGES GEORGE W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>47</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>988</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>702</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>14767</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>280</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1998-08-08</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>1998-08-08</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>280</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5880</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Additional shares of common stock received pursuant to a 5% stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record April 30, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F2">These options were previously reported as options for 5,600 shares currently exercisable, and expiring at various times between September 30, 2009 and December 29, 2010 as an exercise price ranging from $8.05 to $13.46 per share but were adjusted to reflect a five percent stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record on April 30, 2003, as a consequence of which the exercise prices now range between $7.67 and $12.82.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>George R. Barr, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact </signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-02</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</TEXT>
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</SUBMISSION>
