Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Financial Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“Royal Bancshares” or the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Royal Investments of Delaware, Inc., including Royal Investments of Delaware, Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Royal Preferred, LLC, and Royal Bank America (“Royal Bank”), including Royal Bank's subsidiaries, Royal Real Estate of Pennsylvania, Inc., Royal Investments America, LLC, RBA Property LLC, Narberth Property Acquisition LLC, Rio Marina LLC, and its three 60% ownership interests in Crusader Servicing Corporation, Royal Tax Lien Services, LLC, and Royal Bank America Leasing, LP. During the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Captive Insurance, was dissolved. On December 30, 2010, the Company completed the sale of all of the outstanding common stock of Royal Asian Bank (“Royal Asian”), a wholly-owned subsidiary, to an investor group. Royal Asian recorded net income of $413,000 and a net loss of $1.3 million for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. The two Delaware trusts, Royal Bancshares Capital Trust I and Royal Bancshares Capital Trust II are not consolidated per requirements under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, “Consolidation” (“ASC Topic 810”). These consolidated financial statements reflect the historical information of the Company. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. Applications of the principles in the Company's preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. These estimates and assumptions are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates. The interim financial information included herein is unaudited; however, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The results of operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Accounting Policies Recently Adopted and Pending Accounting Pronouncements In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-06, “Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements” (“ASU 2010-06”), which updates ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. ASU 2010-06 is intended to provide a greater level of disaggregated information and more robust disclosures about valuation techniques and inputs to fair value measurements. A reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the reasons for the transfers. Additionally, a reporting entity should provide disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. Those disclosures are required for fair value measurements that fall in either Level 2 or Level 3. The new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009. The disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements in the roll forward of activity in Level 3 fair value measurements were effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of ASU 2010-06 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In July 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-20, “Receivables (Topic 310): Disclosures about the Credit Quality of Financing Receivables and the Allowance for Credit Losses” (“ASU 2010-20”), which is intended to help investors assess the credit risk of a company's receivables portfolio and the adequacy of its allowance for credit losses held against the portfolios by expanding credit risk disclosures. (“ASU 2010-20”) requires more information about the credit quality of financing receivables in the disclosures to financial statements, such as aging information and credit quality indicators. Both new and existing disclosures must be disaggregated by portfolio segment or class. The disaggregation of information is based on how a company develops its allowance for credit losses and how it manages its credit exposure. The disclosure requirements as of December 31, 2010 are included in “Note 4 - Loans and Leases” and “Note 5 – Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Disclosures about activity that occurs during a reporting period was effective in the interim reporting period ending March 31, 2011. In April 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-02, “A Creditor's Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring” (“ASU 2011-02”) which is intended to amend guidance related to troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”). ASU 2011-02 provides additional guidance to assist creditors in concluding whether the restructuring has granted a concession to the borrower and that the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties. ASU 2011-02 is effective for public entities for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The adoption of ASU 2011-02 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs” (“ASU 2011-04”) which generally clarifies guidance in ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. The amendments in ASU 2011-004 explain how to measure fair value and change the wording used to describe the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. For public entities, ASU 2011-04 is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2011-05”) which amends ASC Topic 220 “Comprehensive Income”. To increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income and to facilitate convergence of U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), the FASB decided to eliminate the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity, among other amendments in ASU 2011-05. The amendments require that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. For public entities, ASU 2011-05 is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Financial Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“Royal Bancshares” or the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Royal Investments of Delaware, Inc., including Royal Investments of Delaware, Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Royal Preferred, LLC, and Royal Bank America (“Royal Bank”), including Royal Bank's subsidiaries, Royal Real Estate of Pennsylvania, Inc., Royal Investments America, LLC, RBA Property LLC, Narberth Property Acquisition LLC, Rio Marina LLC, and its three 60% ownership interests in Crusader Servicing Corporation, Royal Tax Lien Services, LLC, and Royal Bank America Leasing, LP. During the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Captive Insurance, was dissolved. On December 30, 2010, the Company completed the sale of all of the outstanding common stock of Royal Asian Bank (“Royal Asian”), a wholly-owned subsidiary, to an investor group. Royal Asian recorded net income of $413,000 and a net loss of $1.3 million for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively.

The two Delaware trusts, Royal Bancshares Capital Trust I and Royal Bancshares Capital Trust II are not consolidated per requirements under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, “Consolidation” (“ASC Topic 810”). These consolidated financial statements reflect the historical information of the Company. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. Applications of the principles in the Company's preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. These estimates and assumptions are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates. The interim financial information included herein is unaudited; however, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The results of operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Accounting Policies Recently Adopted and Pending Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-06, “Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements” (“ASU 2010-06”), which updates ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. ASU 2010-06 is intended to provide a greater level of disaggregated information and more robust disclosures about valuation techniques and inputs to fair value measurements. A reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the reasons for the transfers. Additionally, a reporting entity should provide disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. Those disclosures are required for fair value measurements that fall in either Level 2 or Level 3. The new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009. The disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements in the roll forward of activity in Level 3 fair value measurements were effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of ASU 2010-06 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In July 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-20, “Receivables (Topic 310): Disclosures about the Credit Quality of Financing Receivables and the Allowance for Credit Losses” (“ASU 2010-20”), which is intended to help investors assess the credit risk of a company's receivables portfolio and the adequacy of its allowance for credit losses held against the portfolios by expanding credit risk disclosures. (“ASU 2010-20”) requires more information about the credit quality of financing receivables in the disclosures to financial statements, such as aging information and credit quality indicators. Both new and existing disclosures must be disaggregated by portfolio segment or class. The disaggregation of information is based on how a company develops its allowance for credit losses and how it manages its credit exposure. The disclosure requirements as of December 31, 2010 are included in “Note 4 - Loans and Leases” and “Note 5 – Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Disclosures about activity that occurs during a reporting period was effective in the interim reporting period ending March 31, 2011.

In April 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-02, “A Creditor's Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring” (“ASU 2011-02”) which is intended to amend guidance related to troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”). ASU 2011-02 provides additional guidance to assist creditors in concluding whether the restructuring has granted a concession to the borrower and that the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties. ASU 2011-02 is effective for public entities for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The adoption of ASU 2011-02 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs” (“ASU 2011-04”) which generally clarifies guidance in ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”. The amendments in ASU 2011-004 explain how to measure fair value and change the wording used to describe the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. For public entities, ASU 2011-04 is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2011-05”) which amends ASC Topic 220 “Comprehensive Income”. To increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income and to facilitate convergence of U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), the FASB decided to eliminate the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity, among other amendments in ASU 2011-05. The amendments require that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. For public entities, ASU 2011-05 is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.