CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 37,383,632	$ 37,799,259	$ 94,961,188	$ 120,777,263
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)	31,186,684	32,372,316	80,221,343	103,732,086
Depreciation and amortization attributable to costs of revenues	1,313,162	1,359,629	3,731,320	3,965,626
Gross profit	4,883,786	4,067,314	11,008,525	13,079,551
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	6,241,570	6,153,184	18,972,648	17,529,784
Depreciation and amortization attributable to operating expenses	482,869	455,953	1,412,719	1,367,859
Total operating expenses	6,724,439	6,609,137	20,385,367	18,897,643
Loss from operations	(1,840,653)	(2,541,823)	(9,376,842)	(5,818,092)
Other income (expense):
Other income	1	918,153	101	920,071
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	(136,434)	0	(124,090)	31,443
Gain on change in value of derivative warrant liability	256,587	1,290,792	1,844,369	331,715
Interest expense	(234,671)	(826,005)	(796,930)	(2,322,780)
Total other income (expense)	(114,517)	1,382,940	923,450	(1,039,551)
Loss before income taxes	(1,955,170)	(1,158,883)	(8,453,392)	(6,857,643)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net loss	(1,955,170)	(1,158,883)	(8,453,392)	(6,857,643)
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest	480,215	(67,102)	190,771	(374,862)
Net loss attributable to Vertex Energy, Inc.	(2,435,385)	(1,091,781)	(8,644,163)	(6,482,781)
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value	(1,287,559)	(1,849,930)	(13,635,797)	(1,849,930)
Accretion of discount on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	(29,157)	(550,774)	(1,500,395)	(1,644,374)
Dividends on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	(591,777)	(419,096)	(1,296,493)	(1,238,766)
Net loss available to common shareholders	$ (4,343,878)	$ (3,911,581)	$ (25,076,848)	$ (11,215,851)
Loss per common share
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.10)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.55)	$ (0.28)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.10)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.55)	$ (0.28)
Shares used in computing earnings per share
Basic (in shares)	45,554,841	41,376,335	45,494,235	40,626,700
Diluted (in shares)	45,554,841	41,376,335	45,494,235	40,626,700