ACQUISITIONS (Details Narrative) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 14, 2014	Jan. 01, 2014	Oct. 01, 2013	Aug. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	May 02, 2014	Dec. 05, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 04, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Apr. 13, 2015	Feb. 03, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments on contingent consideration	$ 136,662
Bargain purchase gain	6,948,686	0	0
Acquisition related expenses	3,813,668	53,742	1,256,576
E-Source Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, percent acquired		51.00%				51.00%
Total purchase price						900,000
Additional earn-out payment for contingent consideration	748,000					748,000	748,000
Additional earn-out payment, percentage of net income before income taxes, commission						20.00%
Additional earn-out payment, average closing sales price measurement period				5 days
Additional earn-out payment, average closing sales price, trading days of each valuation period				5 days
Additional earn-out payment, valuation price (in USD per share)	$ 3.2922
Additional ownership percentage acquired					19.00%
Payments to acquire additional interest in subsidiary					854,050
Contingent consideration, Number of shares to be issued based on 2014 metrics	207,743
Payments on contingent consideration							136,662	136,662
Contingent consideration write off							611,338	611,338
Ownership percentage							100.00%
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition							207,743
Omega Refining
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase price									32,436,000
Acquisition, cash paid									28,764,000
Amount of loan provided to acquiree									13,800,000
Bargain purchase gain	6,574,000								6,574,000
Total identifiable net assets acquired, excluding goodwill									46,680,000
Additional amount recognized as a bargain purchase gain during period	92,635
Total identifiable assets, excluding goodwill									39,010,000
Acquisition related expenses									2,559,830
EBITDA measurement period									12 months
Heartland Group Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase price										12,007,000
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition										1,189,637
Value of shares issued as part of business acquisition										8,276,792
Number of shares due for inventory purchase										303,957
Number of shares due in consideration for Reimbursement of Operating Losses										763,873
Additional inventory consideration										200,000
Bargain purchase gain										375,000
Total identifiable net assets acquired, excluding goodwill										12,382,000
Acquisition related expenses										464,139
Post-closing inventory adjustment period										60 days
Number of consecutive trading days used to compute weighted-average closing price per share										10 days
Closing volume weighted-average price (in dollars per share)										$ 3.56
Maximum earn-out consideration										8,276,792
EBITDA measurement period										12 months
Contingent payment, cash (percentage)										50.00%
Contingent payment due, shares (percentage)										50.00%
Contingent consideration reduction (maximum)										866,667
Aggregate capital expenditures incurred										1,300,000
Maximum number of common stock shares to be issued to outstanding shares of common stock outstanding, percentage										19.90%
Maximum combined voting power, percentage										19.90%
Period to file registration statement following Closing	90 days									135 days
Minimum shares required to be registered within 135 days following closing										1,189,637
Period to obtain effectiveness of registration statement										30 days
Period to obtain effectiveness of registration statement if SEC performs review										105 days
Maximum number of shares sold following Purchase Agreement (per week)										50,000
Vertex Energy Operating | E-Source Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Additional ownership percentage acquired					19.00%		30.00%				30.00%	30.00%	19.00%
Restricted stock | Omega Refining
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition									500,000
Value of shares issued as part of business acquisition									3,266,000
Restricted common stock | Heartland Group Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition										2,257,467
Number of shares issued and held in escrow										150,000
Maximum | E-Source Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Additional earn-out payment, percentage of net income before income taxes (years 2014-2017)						15.00%
Minimum | E-Source Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Additional earn-out payment payable in restricted common stock shares, percentage				20.00%
Additional earn-out payment payable in restricted common stock shares, amount				100,000
Subsequent event | Heartland Group Holdings, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares issued in connection with Inventory Purchase														56,180
Value of shares issued in connection with Inventory Purchase														$ 792,270
Post-closing inventory adjustment period															60 days
Number of consecutive trading days used to compute weighted-average closing price per share															10 days
Closing volume weighted-average price (in dollars per share)															$ 3.56