Transactions With Affiliates (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Coverage under catastrophic occurrence	$ 5,000,000
Transactions With affiliates (Textual) [Abstract]
Combined retention for Catastrophe	3,000,000
Charges for services	78,778,333	64,711,860	63,982,793
Accounts with UCB	18,806,576	10,907,454
Interest on UCB accounts	1,591	1,019	1,575
Donegal Mutual [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of resulting shares of pool	20.00%
Premiums and losses related to certain products	100.00%
Premiums and losses related to business of MICO	25.00%
Period of Donegal Mutual under lease agreement	10 years
Donegal mutual and southern have an excess of loss reinsurance agreement	500,000	350,000	350,000
Atlantic States [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of resulting shares of pool	80.00%
Coverage under catastrophic occurrence	2,000,000
Southern [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Premiums and losses related to certain products	100.00%
Coverage under catastrophic occurrence	1,500,000
Donegal mutual and southern have an excess of loss reinsurance agreement	500,000	400,000	400,000
Le Mars [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Premiums and losses related to certain products	100.00%
Coverage under catastrophic occurrence	500,000
Insurance Subsidiaries [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Coverage under catastrophic occurrence	$ 5,000,000
Minimum [Member] | Lease office equipment and automobile [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Lease office equipment and automobiles range	3 years
Maximum [Member] | Lease office equipment and automobile [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Lease office equipment and automobiles range	10 years