REGULATORY MATTERS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

REGULATORY MATTERS

NOTE 21. REGULATORY MATTERS

The Bank is subject to certain restrictions on the amount of dividends that may be declared without prior regulatory approval. At December 31, 2015, $22.4 million of retained earnings were available for dividend declaration without regulatory approval.

The Company and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company’s and Bank’s financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company and the Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of their assets, liabilities and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors.

Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Company and the Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of total, Tier I capital and Common Equity Tier 1 capital, as defined by the regulations, to risk-weighted assets, as defined, and of Tier I capital to average assets, as defined. Management believes that, as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company and the Bank met all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the most recent notification from the regulatory authorities categorized the Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized, the Bank must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier I risk-based, Common Equity Tier I risk-based and Tier I leverage ratios as set forth in the following table. There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category. Prompt corrective action provisions are not applicable to bank holding companies.

The Company’s and Bank’s actual capital amounts and ratios are presented in the following table.

						For Capital					To Be Well Capitalized
						Adequacy					Under Prompt Corrective
	Actual					Purposes					Action Provisions
	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
	(Dollars in Thousands)
As of December 31, 2015
Total Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
Consolidated	$	484,023		11.45	%	$	338,057		8.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	516,677		12.24	%	$	337,687		8.00	%	$	422,109		10.00	%
Tier I Capital to Risk Weighted Assets:
Consolidated	$	462,961		10.96	%	$	253,543		6.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	495,615		11.74	%	$	253,266		6.00	%	$	337,687		8.00	%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital to Risk Weighted Assets:
Consolidated	$	403,322		9.54	%	$	190,157		4.50	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	495,615		11.74	%	$	189,949		4.50	%	$	274,371		6.50	%
Tier I Capital to Average Assets:
Consolidated	$	462,961		8.70	%	$	212,771		4.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	495,615		9.32	%	$	212,608		4.00	%	$	265,760		5.00	%
As of December 31, 2014
Total Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
Consolidated	$	373,310		13.42	%	$	222,557		8.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	414,356		14.90	%	$	222,528		8.00	%	$	278,160		10.00	%
Tier I Capital to Risk Weighted Assets:
Consolidated	$	352,153		12.66	%	$	111,279		4.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	393,199		14.14	%	$	111,264		4.00	%	$	166,896		6.00	%
Tier I Capital to Average Assets:
Consolidated	$	352,153		8.94	%	$	157,574		4.00	%				—N/A—
Ameris Bank	$	393,199		10.01	%	$	157,165		4.00	%	$	196,456		5.00	%