SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Investar Holding Corporation (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include information or footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. However, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year. These statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, including the notes thereto, which were included as part of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2016. Nature of Operations Investar Holding Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provides full banking services, excluding trust services, through its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Investar Bank (the “Bank”), a Louisiana-chartered bank. The Company’s primary market is South Louisiana. The Company currently operates 11 full service banking offices located throughout its market and had 154 employees at March 31, 2016. Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Bank. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates The preparation of statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses. While management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in local economic conditions. In addition, regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Company’s allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require the Company to recognize additions to the allowance based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination. Because of these factors, it is reasonably possible that the allowance for loan losses may change materially in the near term. However, the amount of the change that is reasonably possible cannot be estimated. Other estimates that are susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of other-than-temporary impairments of securities and the fair value of financial instruments. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2015 financial statements to be consistent with the 2016 presentation. Concentrations of Credit Risk The Company’s loan portfolio consists of the various types of loans described in Note 4, Loans. Real estate or other assets secure most loans. The majority of loans have been made to individuals and businesses in the Company’s market of South Louisiana. Customers are dependent on the condition of the local economy for their livelihoods and servicing their loan obligations. The Company does not have any significant concentrations in any one industry or individual customer. Recent Accounting Pronouncements FASB ASC Topic 718 “Compensation – Stock Compensation” Update No. 2016-09. The Financial Accounting and Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Update No. 2016-09 in March 2016 as part of its simplification initiative. The areas for simplification in this Update involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position. FASB ASC Topic 323 “Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures” Update No. 2016-07. The FASB issued Update No. 2016-07 in March 2016 as part of its simplification initiative. The amendments in the Update eliminate the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively on a step-by-step basis as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The amendments require that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. In addition, the amendments in this Update require that an entity that has an equity security classified as available for sale that becomes qualified for the equity method of accounting recognize through earnings the unrealized holding gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date the investment becomes qualified for use of the equity method. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position. FASB ASC Topic 825 “Financial Instruments - Overall” Update No. 2016-01. The FASB issued Update No. 2016-01 in January 2016 to address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The main provisions require investments in equity securities to be measured at fair value through net income, unless they qualify for a practicability exception, and require fair value changes arising from changes in instrument-specific credit risk for financial liabilities that are measured under the fair value option to be recognized in other comprehensive income. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Investar Holding Corporation (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include information or footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. However, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year. These statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, including the notes thereto, which were included as part of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2016.

Nature of Operations

Investar Holding Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provides full banking services, excluding trust services, through its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Investar Bank (the “Bank”), a Louisiana-chartered bank. The Company’s primary market is South Louisiana. The Company currently operates 11 full service banking offices located throughout its market and had 154 employees at March 31, 2016.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Bank. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses. While management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in local economic conditions. In addition, regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Company’s allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require the Company to recognize additions to the allowance based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination. Because of these factors, it is reasonably possible that the allowance for loan losses may change materially in the near term. However, the amount of the change that is reasonably possible cannot be estimated.

Other estimates that are susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of other-than-temporary impairments of securities and the fair value of financial instruments.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2015 financial statements to be consistent with the 2016 presentation.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company’s loan portfolio consists of the various types of loans described in Note 4, Loans. Real estate or other assets secure most loans. The majority of loans have been made to individuals and businesses in the Company’s market of South Louisiana. Customers are dependent on the condition of the local economy for their livelihoods and servicing their loan obligations. The Company does not have any significant concentrations in any one industry or individual customer.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

FASB ASC Topic 718 “Compensation – Stock Compensation” Update No. 2016-09. The Financial Accounting and Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Update No. 2016-09 in March 2016 as part of its simplification initiative. The areas for simplification in this Update involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

FASB ASC Topic 323 “Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures” Update No. 2016-07. The FASB issued Update No. 2016-07 in March 2016 as part of its simplification initiative. The amendments in the Update eliminate the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively on a step-by-step basis as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The amendments require that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. In addition, the amendments in this Update require that an entity that has an equity security classified as available for sale that becomes qualified for the equity method of accounting recognize through earnings the unrealized holding gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date the investment becomes qualified for use of the equity method. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

FASB ASC Topic 825 “Financial Instruments - Overall” Update No. 2016-01. The FASB issued Update No. 2016-01 in January 2016 to address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The main provisions require investments in equity securities to be measured at fair value through net income, unless they qualify for a practicability exception, and require fair value changes arising from changes in instrument-specific credit risk for financial liabilities that are measured under the fair value option to be recognized in other comprehensive income. The amendments in the Update are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position.