CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 28,974,471	$ 16,249,312	$ 84,823,476	$ 30,460,606
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)	28,061,498	15,324,914	79,319,678	28,598,874
Depreciation and amortization attributable to costs of revenues	126,795	115,562	358,905	327,672
Gross profit	786,178	808,836	5,144,893	1,534,060
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	4,944,719	1,832,067	12,111,951	6,044,050
Depreciation and amortization attributable to operating expenses	26,916	28,002	80,748	48,118
Total operating expenses	4,971,635	1,860,069	12,192,699	6,092,168
Loss from operations	(4,185,457)	(1,051,233)	(7,047,806)	(4,558,108)
Other income (expense):
Other income	0	0	4,222,000	0
Loss on sale of assets	(3,351)	(136,434)	(1,927)	(124,090)
Gain (loss) on change in value of derivative warrant liability	11,907,413	256,587	(11,380,122)	1,844,369
Interest expense	(352,587)	(97,157)	(603,398)	(291,933)
Total other income (expense)	11,551,475	22,996	(7,763,447)	1,428,346
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	7,366,018	(1,028,237)	(14,811,253)	(3,129,762)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	7,366,018	(1,028,237)	(14,811,253)	(3,129,762)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	3,278,498	(926,933)	12,464,445	(5,323,630)
Net income (loss)	10,644,516	(1,955,170)	(2,346,808)	(8,453,392)
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from continuing operations	(115,131)	136,334	510,618	155,322
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from discontinued operations	2,400,141	343,881	7,183,268	35,449
Net income (loss) attributable to Vertex Energy, Inc.	8,359,506	(2,435,385)	(10,040,694)	(8,644,163)
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value from continued operations	(414,690)	(1,287,559)	(1,176,683)	(13,635,797)
Accretion of discount on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	0	(29,157)	(507,282)	(1,500,395)
Dividends on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	0	(591,777)	258,138	(1,296,493)
Net income (loss) available to shareholders from continuing operations	7,066,459	(3,073,064)	(16,747,698)	(19,717,769)
Net income (loss) available to shareholders from discontinued operations, net of tax	878,357	(1,270,814)	5,281,177	(5,359,079)
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders	$ 7,944,816	$ (4,343,878)	$ (11,466,521)	$ (25,076,848)
Basic income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ (0.07)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.43)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.01	(0.03)	0.10	(0.12)
Basic income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)	0.13	(0.10)	(0.21)	(0.55)
Diluted income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.11	(0.07)	(0.31)	(0.43)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.01	(0.03)	0.10	(0.12)
Diluted income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ (0.10)	$ (0.21)	$ (0.55)
Shares used in computing earnings per share
Basic (in shares)	61,348,508	45,554,841	53,963,617	45,494,235
Diluted (in shares)	64,605,326	45,554,841	53,963,617	45,494,235