STATUTORY REPORTING, CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND DIVIDENDS AND RETAINED EARNINGS RESTRICTIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Payment of cash dividends	$ 17,484,000		$ 15,269,000		$ 15,507,000
United Fire & Casualty Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Intercompany dividend payments that are eliminated in Consolidated Financial Statements	13,175,000		26,950,000
Subsidiaries [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Intercompany dividend payments that are eliminated in Consolidated Financial Statements	26,335,000		19,750,000		11,450,000
United Life [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Capital and Surplus	1,648,019,000
Net assets on statutory basis, in excess of the legal reserve requirement	210,938,000
Amount of dividend payment without approval from the commissioner	5,797,000
State of Iowa Insurance Department [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Maximum dividend distribution in 2013 without prior approval	53,702,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	125,000,000
Property and Casualty Insurance [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Capital and Surplus	665,772,000	[1]	585,986,000	[1]	565,843,000	[1]
Statutory Net Income	84,255,000	[1]	34,468,000	[1]	10,529,000	[1]
Life, Accident and Health [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Statutory Capital and Surplus	157,974,000		158,720,000		167,164,000
Statutory Net Income	$ 5,942,000		$ 7,420,000		$ 6,180,000

[1] Because United Fire & Casualty Company owns United Life Insurance Company, the property and casualty statutory capital and surplus includes life, accident and health statutory capital and surplus, and therefore represents our total consolidated statutory capital and surplus.