Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Apr. 26, 2016
Document And Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	CONSUMER PORTFOLIO SERVICES INC
Entity Central Index Key	0000889609
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer?	No
Is Entity a Voluntary Filer?	No
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		24,748,115
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016