Line of credit facility expiration month and year.

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of minimum financial levels (for example, tangible net worth and working capital) and achievement of certain financial ratios (for example, working capital ratio and debt service coverage ratio), and adherence to certain clauses which generally require or restrict certain actions (for example, entering into a debt arrangement with equal or greater seniority, and selling or discontinuing a certain business segment or material subsidiary) to be in compliance with the covenant clauses of the debt agreement. May also include a discussion of the adverse consequences that would result if the entity violates or fails to satisfy the covenants.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479118&loc=d3e64650-112822

+ Details

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

- Definition

Discloses the single interest rate [if] applicable to the advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank, by branch, as of the Balance Sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479118&loc=d3e64650-112822

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of the interest rate for the amounts borrowed under the credit facility, including the terms and the method for determining the interest rate (for example, fixed or variable, LIBOR plus a percentage, increasing rate, timing of interest rate resets, remarketing provisions).

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Financial instruments issued by insurance entities (surplus notes) that are includable in surplus for statutory accounting purposes as prescribed or permitted by state laws and regulations that are liabilities of the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 470
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486086&loc=d3e24387-158525

+ Details

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

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=dgica_WestBendMutualInsuranceCompanyMember
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Borrowings - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
Borrowings - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2016
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit expiration month and year	2019-07
Outstanding borrowings	$ 69,000,000	$ 69,000,000
Line of credit, interest rate description	Interest rates equal to M&T's current prime rate or the then current LIBOR rate plus 2.25%.
Percentage commitment fee	0.20%
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding borrowings	$ 34,000,000
Line of credit facility remaining borrowing capacity	$ 26,000,000
Interest rate on borrowings	3.23%
Line of credit covenant description	The credit agreement requires our compliance with certain covenants. These covenants include minimum levels of our net worth, leverage ratio, statutory surplus and the A.M. Best ratings of our insurance subsidiaries. We were in compliance with all requirements of the credit agreement during the three months ended March 31, 2017.
FHLB of Indianapolis [Member] \| MICO [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding advances	$ 0
FHLB of Pittsburgh [Member] \| Atlantic States [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Right to request for extension of credit agreement with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company	1,199,605
Outstanding advances	$ 35,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Right to request for extension of credit agreement with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company			$ 60,000,000
Lines of Credit [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate	2.25%
Lines of Credit [Member] \| FHLB of Pittsburgh [Member] \| Atlantic States [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate on advances	1.25%
Subordinated Debentures [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument stated interest rate	5.00%
Subordinated Debentures [Member] \| West Bend Mutual Insurance Company [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Surplus note	$ 5,000,000