LOANS AND LEASES (Details 7) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013 item	Mar. 31, 2012 item
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans	6	12
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	$ 13,618,000	$ 18,906,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	13,618,000	18,906,000
Troubled debt restructurings that subsequently defaulted
Number of Loans	2	1
Recorded investment	1,860,000	1,725,000
Charge-offs	0	324,000
Recorded investment for defaulted troubled debt restructurings excluded	0
Real estate mortgage \| Hospitality
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		2,083,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		2,083,000
Real estate mortgage \| SBA 504
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		563,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		563,000
Real estate mortgage \| Other
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans	5	2
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	13,223,000	10,552,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	13,223,000	10,552,000
Troubled debt restructurings that subsequently defaulted
Number of Loans	1	1
Recorded investment	1,298,000	1,725,000
Real estate construction \| Other
Troubled debt restructurings that subsequently defaulted
Number of Loans	1
Recorded investment	562,000
Real estate construction \| Residential
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		467,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		467,000
Real estate construction \| Commercial
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		4,484,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		4,484,000
Commercial \| Collateralized
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans	1	2
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	395,000	606,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment	395,000	606,000
Commercial \| Unsecured
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		15,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		15,000
Commercial \| SBA 7(a)
Troubled debt restructurings
Number of Loans		3
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		136,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded investment		$ 136,000

The number of financing receivables that have been modified during the period by troubled debt restructurings.

No definition available.

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- Details

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- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified during the period by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months and for which there was a payment default.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	pacw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified during the period by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months, for which there was a payment default.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	pacw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the recorded investment value of defaulted troubled debt restructuring loans over the preceeding twelve month period to determine a class of loans to be excluded from presentation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	pacw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified during the period by troubled debt restructurings after the financing receivable has been modified.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	pacw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified during the period by troubled debt restructurings before the financing receivable has been modified.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	pacw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the amount of the write-down related to a troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 40

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6951948&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ Details

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