CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 12,426,704	$ 10,895,044
Restricted cash	100,125	100,125
Accounts receivable, net	12,995,738	11,138,933
Inventory	6,979,844	4,439,839
Derivative commodity asset	342,031	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,559,313	3,211,448
Total current assets	35,403,755	29,785,389
Noncurrent assets
Fixed assets, at cost	76,793,532	75,777,552
Less accumulated depreciation	(30,578,049)	(29,337,036)
Fixed assets, net	46,215,483	46,440,516
Finance lease right-of-use assets	1,432,728	1,536,711
Operating lease right-of use assets	33,057,790	33,315,876
Intangible assets, net	8,914,572	9,397,441
Other assets	1,622,225	1,624,025
TOTAL ASSETS	126,646,553	122,099,958
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	10,318,483	10,484,911
Accrued expenses	1,862,430	2,053,106
Dividends payable	372,169	606,550
Finance lease liability-current	503,534	496,231
Operating lease liability-current	5,519,665	5,614,785
Current portion of long-term debt, net of unamortized finance costs	8,883,009	4,367,169
Revolving note	0	133,446
Derivative commodity liability	0	94,214
Total current liabilities	27,459,290	23,850,412
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized finance costs	2,429,075	7,981,496
Finance lease liability-long-term	816,257	945,612
Operating lease liability-long-term	27,538,125	27,701,091
Derivative warrant liability	1,004,680	330,412
Total liabilities	59,247,427	60,809,023
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 3)	0	0
TEMPORARY EQUITY
Series B and B-1 preferred shares	48,130,860	55,366,186
Redeemable non-controlling interest	33,527,825	31,611,674
EQUITY
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 750,000,000 shares authorized; 51,742,499 and 45,554,841 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.	51,742	45,555
Additional paid-in capital	106,823,405	94,569,674
Accumulated deficit	(89,373,746)	(90,008,778)
Total Vertex Energy, Inc. stockholders' equity	17,501,821	4,606,871
Non-controlling interest	1,766,445	1,317,878
Total equity	19,268,266	5,924,749
TOTAL LIABILITIES, TEMPORARY EQUITY, AND EQUITY	126,646,553	122,099,958
Series B Preferred Stock
TEMPORARY EQUITY
Series B and B-1 preferred shares	6,310,565	12,718,339
Series B1 Preferred Stock
TEMPORARY EQUITY
Series B and B-1 preferred shares	8,292,470	11,036,173
Series A Preferred Stock
EQUITY
Series A and C Preferred stock	420	420
Series C Preferred Stock
EQUITY
Series A and C Preferred stock	$ 0	$ 0