Registration No. 333-_________

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

300 Cadman Plaza, 8^th Floor

Brooklyn, New York 11201

Copies to:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ◻

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

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(1)

Represents the maximum number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 (“Common Stock”) reserved for issuance under the Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”).  Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers additional shares that may become issuable under the Equity Plan by reason of certain corporate transactions, or events, including any stock split, stock dividend or similar adjustment of the outstanding common stock of Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”). pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act.

(2)	Computed in accordance with Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act and based upon the high and low sales price of the Company’s Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 24, 2020.

________________________

This Registration Statement shall become effective upon filing in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and 17 C.F.R. § 230.462.

PART I.

Items 1 and 2.  Plan Information, and Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information

The documents containing the information specified in Part I and II of Form S-8 have been or will be sent or given to participants in the Equity Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act.

Such documents are not being filed with the Commission, but constitute (along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof) a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II.

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents previously or concurrently filed with the Commission are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

a) The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (File No. 001-39211), filed with the Commission on March 12, 2020 pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”);

b) All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report on Form 10-K referred to in (a) above; and

c) The description of the Company’s common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on April 15, 1998 (File No. 000-27782).

All documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date hereof, 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 incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part thereof from the date of the filing of such documents.  Any statement contained in the documents incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, by reference herein or therein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement and the prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or therein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein or therein modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement and the prospectus.

All information appearing in this Registration Statement and the prospectus is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information, including financial statements, appearing in the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

None.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Articles IX and XX of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (for purposes of this Item 6, the Company shall be referred to as “Corporation”) set forth circumstances under which directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation may be insured or indemnified against liability which they incur in their capacities as such:

ARTICLE IX

LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR LIABILITY

A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is expressly prohibited by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as the same exists or may hereafter be amended.

Any amendment, termination or repeal of this Article IX or any provisions hereof shall not adversely affect or diminish in any way any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to the time of the final adoption of such amendment, termination or repeal.

In addition to any requirements of law or of any other provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than eighty percent (80%) of the total number of votes eligible to be cast by the holders of all outstanding shares of Capital Stock entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend, alter, rescind or repeal any provision of this Article IX.

ARTICLE X

INDEMNIFICATION

Section 1.  Actions, Suits or Proceedings Other than by or in the Right of the Corporation.  To the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made a party to or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and the Corporation may indemnify any other person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made a party to or is

threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she 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 Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.  The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article X, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer in connection with an action, suit or proceeding, or part thereof, initiated by such person against the Corporation unless such action, suit or proceeding, or part thereof, was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors.

Section 2.  Actions or Suits by or in the Right of the Corporation.  To the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and the Corporation may indemnify any other person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit and any appeal therefrom, if he or she 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 Corporation, except no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of such liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such costs, charges and expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article X, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer in connection with an action or suit, or part thereof, initiated by such person against the Corporation unless such action or suit, or part thereof, was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.  Indemnification for Costs, Charges and Expenses of a Successful Party.  To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation has been successful, on the merits or otherwise (including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice), in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 1 or 2 of this Article X, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection therewith.

Section 4.  Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness.  To the extent that any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation is made a witness to any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is not a party by reason of the fact that he or she was, is or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the written request of the Corporation, such person shall be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection therewith.

To the extent that any person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation is made a witness to any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is not a party by reason of the fact

that he or she was, is or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the written request of the Corporation, such person may be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person's behalf in connection therewith.

Section 5.  Determination of Right to Indemnification.  Any indemnification under Section 1 or 2 of this Article X (unless ordered by a court) shall be made, if at all, by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper under the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or 2 of this Article X.  Any indemnification under Section 4 of this Article X (unless ordered by a court) shall be made, if at all, by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper under the circumstances.  Such determinations shall be made by (a) a majority vote of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, or (b) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent counsel in a written opinion or (c) by the shareholders of the Corporation. To obtain indemnification under this Article X, any person referred to in Section 1, 2, 3 or 4 of this Article X shall submit to the Corporation a written request, including therewith such documents as are reasonably available to such person and are reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent such person is entitled to indemnification.

Section 6.  Advancement of Costs, Charges and Expenses.  Costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by or on behalf of a director or officer in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 1 or 2 of this Article X shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding; provided, however, that the payment of such costs, charges and expenses incurred by or on behalf of a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of a written undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article X or by law.  No security shall be required for such undertaking and such undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the recipient’s financial ability to make repayment.  The majority of the directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding may, upon approval of such director or officer of the Corporation, authorize the Corporation’s counsel to represent such person, in any action, suit or proceeding, whether or not the Corporation is a party to such action, suit or proceeding.

Section 7.  Procedure for Indemnification.  Any indemnification under Section 1, 2, 3 or 4 of this Article X or advancement of costs, charges and expenses under Section 6 of this Article X shall be made promptly, and in any event within sixty (60) days (except indemnification to be determined by shareholders which will be determined at the next annual meeting of shareholders), upon the written request of the director or officer.  The right to indemnification or advancement of expenses as granted by this Article X shall be enforceable by the director, officer, employee or agent in any court of competent jurisdiction, if the Corporation denies such request, in whole or in part, or if no disposition of such request is made within sixty (60) days of the request.  Such person’s costs, charges and expenses incurred in connection with successfully establishing his or her right to indemnification or advancement, to the extent successful, in any such action shall also be indemnified by the Corporation.  It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for the advancement of costs, charges and expenses under Section 6 of this Article X where the required undertaking, if any, has been received by the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or 2 of this Article X, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation.  Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its directors, its independent legal counsel and its shareholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or 2 of this Article X, nor the fact that there has been an actual determination by the Corporation (including its directors, its independent legal counsel and its shareholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

Section 8.  Settlement.  The Corporation shall not be obligated to reimburse the costs, charges and expenses of any settlement to which it has not agreed.  If in any action, suit or proceeding (including any appeal) within the scope of Section 1 or 2 of this Article X, the person to be indemnified shall have unreasonably failed to enter into a settlement thereof offered or assented to by the opposing party or parties in such action, suit or proceeding, then, notwithstanding any other provision of this Article X, the indemnification obligation of the

Corporation to such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding shall not exceed the total of the amount at which settlement could have been made and the expenses incurred by or on behalf of such person prior to the time such settlement could reasonably have been effected.

Section 9.  Other Rights; Continuation of Right to Indemnification; Individual Contracts.  The indemnification and advancement of costs, charges and expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this Article X shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those persons seeking indemnification or advancement of costs, charges and expenses may be entitled under law (common or statutory) or any Bylaw, agreement, policy of indemnification insurance or vote of shareholders or directors or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the legatees, heirs, distributees, executors and administrators of such person.  Nothing contained in this Article X shall be deemed to prohibit the Corporation from entering into, and the Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into, agreements with directors, officers, employees and agents providing indemnification rights and procedures different from those set forth herein.  All rights to indemnification under this Article X shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation who serves or served in such capacity at any time while this Article X is in effect.

Section 10.  Savings Clause.  If this Article X or any portion shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each director or officer, and may indemnify each employee or agent, of the Corporation as to any costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (including an action by or in the right of the Corporation), to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article X that shall not have been invalidated and to the full extent permitted by applicable law.

Section 11.  Insurance.  The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation against any costs, charges or expenses, liability or loss incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such costs, charges or expenses, liability or loss under the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law; provided, however, that such insurance is available on acceptable terms as determined by a vote of a majority of the Board.  To the extent that any director, officer, employee or agent is reimbursed by an insurance company under an indemnification insurance policy for any costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article X, the Bylaws, any agreement, the policy of indemnification insurance or otherwise, the Corporation shall not be obligated to reimburse the person to be indemnified in connection with such proceeding.  

Section 12.  Definitions.  For purposes of this Article X, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “The Corporation” shall include any constituent corporation or entity (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed by way of an acquisition, consolidation, merger or otherwise, which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employee or agent so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation or entity, or is or was serving at the written request of such constituent corporation or entity as a director or officer of another corporation, entity, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article X with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation or entity as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation or entity if its separate existence had continued;  

(b) “Other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans, including, but not limited to, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation;  

(c) “Director or officer” of the Corporation shall include any director, officer, partner or trustee who is or was or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise;

(d) “Serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service that imposes duties on, or involves services by a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries, including acting as a fiduciary thereof;  

(e) “Fines” shall include any penalties and any excise or similar taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan;

(f) To the fullest extent permitted by law, person shall be deemed to have 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 Corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful,” if his or her action is based on the records or books of account of the Corporation or another enterprise, or on information supplied to him or her by the officers of the Corporation or another enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Corporation or another enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Corporation or another enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Corporation or another enterprise; and

(g) A person shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation,” as referred to in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article X if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan.

Section 13.  Subsequent Amendment and Subsequent Legislation.  Neither the amendment, termination or repeal of this Article X or of relevant provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any other applicable laws, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation or of any statute inconsistent with this Article X shall eliminate, affect or diminish in any way the rights of any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to indemnification under the provisions of this Article X with respect to any action, suit or proceeding arising out of, or relating to, any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the final adoption of such amendment, termination or repeal.

If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware is amended to expand further the indemnification permitted to directors and officers of the Corporation, then the Corporation shall indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

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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 the Registration Statement:

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(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) (section 230.424(b)) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fees” table in the effective registration statement;

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

provided, however, that paragraphs 1(i) and 1(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by these paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this 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 which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

4. 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 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the 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; and

5. 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 Securities and Exchange 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

The Registrant.  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 on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Brooklyn, State of New York, on this 25th day of June, 2020.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned directors and officers of Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby severally constitute and appoint Kenneth J. Mahon, as our true and lawful attorney and agent, to do any and all things in our names in the capacities indicated below which said Kenneth J. Mahon may deem necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with the registration of shares of common stock to be issued upon the exercise of stock options and the award of restricted stock under the Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, including specifically, but not limited to, power and authority to sign for us in our names in the capacities indicated below the registration statement and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we hereby approve, ratify and confirm all that said Kenneth J. Mahon shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

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