Note 4 - Loans and the Allowance for Loan Losses (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Total	$ 1,981,000		$ 2,270,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance	78,000		82,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, with Related Allowance, Recorded Investment	469,000		475,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, with No Related Allowance, Recorded Investment	1,512,000		1,795,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment, Total	2,002,000	$ 5,405,000	1,760,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method, Total	18,000	43,000	73,000
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Cash Basis Method, Total	0	$ 0
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Recorded Investment	1,109,000		1,111,000
Financing Receivable Modifications Related Allowances	61,000		63,000
Loans and Leases Receivable, Impaired, Commitment to Lend	$ 0		0
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Number of Contracts	0	0
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Subsequent Default, Number of Contracts	0	0
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status	$ 941,000		$ 1,226,000
Loans and Leases Receivable, Impaired, Interest Lost on Nonaccrual Loans	$ 15,000	$ 51,000
Number of Loans, 90 Days Past Due and Still Accruing	1		3
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 90 Days Past Due and Still Accruing	$ 77,000		$ 1,796,000
Deferred Loan Origination Costs	$ 498,000	$ 395,000

This item represents loan origination costs that have been deferred.

No definition available.

Name:	plbc_DeferredLoanOriginationCosts
Namespace Prefix:	plbc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the related allowance on loans classified as troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plbc_FinancingReceivableModificationsRelatedAllowances
Namespace Prefix:	plbc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of loans that are 90 days past due and still accruing interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plbc_NumberOfLoans90DaysPastDueAndStillAccruing
Namespace Prefix:	plbc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953676-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82895541&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 34
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953682-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Recorded investment in financing receivables that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5111-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment90DaysPastDueAndStillAccruing
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Recorded investment in financing receivables that are on nonaccrual status as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5111-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentNonaccrualStatus
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Average amount of investment of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5212-111524

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 17
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5258-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized on a cash-basis method of accounting that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeCashBasisMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953550-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit losses related to recorded investment.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in impaired financing receivables for which there is no related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in impaired financing receivables for which there is a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the unfunded portion of contractual agreements to lend funds to borrowers for loans whose terms have been modified by troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82895541&loc=d3e18794-111554

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableImpairedCommitmentToLend
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the amount of additional interest income that would have been recorded if impaired or nonperforming loans were instead current, in compliance with their original terms, and outstanding throughout the reporting period or since origination (if held for part of the period).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableImpairedInterestLostOnNonaccrualLoans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration