BUSINESS COMBINATIONS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			1 Months Ended
		Jun. 12, 2015	May. 22, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash value of bank owned life insurance					$ 64,251	$ 58,867
Deposits:
Goodwill					$ 90,082	$ 63,547	$ 35,049
Coastal Bankshares, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents				$ 3,895
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances				15,923
Investment securities				67,266
Other investments				975
Mortgage loans held for sale				7,288
Loans				296,141
Less allowance for loan losses				(3,218)
Loans, net				292,923
Other real estate owned				14,992
Premises and equipment				11,882
Intangible assets				507
Cash value of bank owned life insurance				7,812
Other assets				14,898
Total assets				438,361
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing				80,012
Interest-bearing				289,012
Total deposits				369,024
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase				5,428
Other borrowings				22,005
Other liabilities				6,192
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures				15,465
Total liabilities				418,114
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				20,247
Goodwill				0
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				$ 20,247
Consideration:
Ameris Bancorp common shares issued				1,598,998
Purchase price per share of the Company’s common stock				$ 21.56
Company common stock issued				$ 34,474
Cash exchanged for shares				2,796
Fair value of total consideration transferred				37,270
Coastal Bankshares, Inc. [Member] | Initial Fair Value Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents				0
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances				0
Investment securities	[1]			(500)
Other investments				0
Mortgage loans held for sale				0
Loans	[2]			(16,700)
Less allowance for loan losses	[3]			3,218
Loans, net				(13,482)
Other real estate owned	[4]			(6,935)
Premises and equipment				0
Intangible assets	[5]			4,035
Cash value of bank owned life insurance				0
Other assets	[6]			(601)
Total assets				(17,483)
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing				0
Interest-bearing				0
Total deposits				0
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase				0
Other borrowings				0
Other liabilities				0
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures	[7]			(6,413)
Total liabilities				(6,413)
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				(11,070)
Goodwill				28,093
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				17,023
Coastal Bankshares, Inc. [Member] | As Recorded by Acquired Bank [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents				3,895
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances				15,923
Investment securities				66,766
Other investments				975
Mortgage loans held for sale				7,288
Loans				279,441
Less allowance for loan losses				0
Loans, net				279,441
Other real estate owned				8,057
Premises and equipment				11,882
Intangible assets				4,542
Cash value of bank owned life insurance				7,812
Other assets				14,297
Total assets				420,878
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing				80,012
Interest-bearing				289,012
Total deposits				369,024
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase				5,428
Other borrowings				22,005
Other liabilities				6,192
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures				9,052
Total liabilities				411,701
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				9,177
Goodwill				28,093
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed				$ 37,270
Bank Of America [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 630,220
Loans		4,363
Premises and equipment		10,348
Intangible assets		0
Other assets		126
Total assets		645,057
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing		149,854
Interest-bearing		495,110
Total deposits		644,964
Other liabilities		93
Total liabilities		645,057
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		0
Goodwill		0
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		0
Consideration:
Cash exchanged for shares		20,000
Cash paid as deposit premium		20,002
Fair value of total consideration transferred		20,002
Bank Of America [Member] | Subsequent Fair Value Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents		0
Loans	[2]	(364)
Premises and equipment	[8]	(755)
Intangible assets	[9]	985
Other assets		0
Total assets		(134)
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing		0
Interest-bearing		0
Total deposits		0
Other liabilities		0
Total liabilities		0
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		(134)
Goodwill		134
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		0
Bank Of America [Member] | Initial Fair Value Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents		0
Loans		0
Premises and equipment	[10]	1,060
Intangible assets	[5]	7,651
Total assets		8,711
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing		0
Interest-bearing	[11]	(215)
Total deposits		(215)
Other liabilities		0
Total liabilities		(215)
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		8,926
Goodwill		11,076
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		20,002
Bank Of America [Member] | As Recorded by Acquired Bank [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents		630,220
Loans		3,999
Premises and equipment		10,653
Intangible assets		8,636
Other assets		126
Total assets		653,634
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing		149,854
Interest-bearing		494,895
Total deposits		644,749
Other liabilities		93
Total liabilities		644,842
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		8,792
Goodwill		11,210
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		$ 20,002
Merchants and Southern Banks of Florida [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents			$ 7,527
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances			106,188
Investment securities			164,421
Other investments			872
Loans			199,955
Less allowance for loan losses			(3,354)
Loans, net			196,601
Other real estate owned			4,082
Premises and equipment			14,614
Intangible assets			0
Other assets			2,333
Total assets			496,638
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing			121,708
Interest-bearing			286,112
Total deposits			407,820
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase			41,588
Other liabilities			2,151
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures			6,186
Total liabilities			457,745
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			38,893
Goodwill			0
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			38,893
Consideration:
Cash exchanged for shares			50,000
Fair value of total consideration transferred			50,000
Merchants and Southern Banks of Florida [Member] | Subsequent Fair Value Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents			0
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances			0
Investment securities	[12]		(639)
Other investments			0
Loans			0
Less allowance for loan losses			0
Loans, net			0
Other real estate owned			0
Premises and equipment			0
Intangible assets	[13]		(634)
Other assets	[14]		(1,307)
Total assets			(2,580)
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing			0
Interest-bearing	[15]		41,588
Total deposits			0
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	[15]		(41,588)
Other liabilities			0
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures			0
Total liabilities			0
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			(2,580)
Goodwill			2,580
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			0
Merchants and Southern Banks of Florida [Member] | Initial Fair Value Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents			0
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances			0
Investment securities	[1]		(553)
Other investments			0
Loans	[2]		(8,500)
Less allowance for loan losses	[16]		3,354
Loans, net			(5,146)
Other real estate owned	[4]		(1,115)
Premises and equipment	[17]		(3,680)
Intangible assets	[5]		4,577
Other assets	[6]		2,335
Total assets			(3,582)
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing			0
Interest-bearing			0
Total deposits			0
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase			0
Other liabilities	[18]		81
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures	[19]		(2,680)
Total liabilities			(2,599)
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			(983)
Goodwill			12,090
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			11,107
Merchants and Southern Banks of Florida [Member] | As Recorded by Acquired Bank [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents			7,527
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances			106,188
Investment securities			163,229
Other investments			872
Loans			191,455
Less allowance for loan losses			0
Loans, net			191,455
Other real estate owned			2,967
Premises and equipment			10,934
Intangible assets			3,943
Other assets			3,361
Total assets			490,476
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing			121,708
Interest-bearing			327,700
Total deposits			449,408
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase			0
Other liabilities			2,232
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures			3,506
Total liabilities			455,146
Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			35,330
Goodwill	[6]		14,670
Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed			$ 50,000

[1] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments of the available for sale portfolio as of the acquisition date.

[2] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired loan portfolio.

[3] Adjustment reflects the elimination of Coastal’s allowance for loan losses.

[4] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired OREO portfolio.

[5] Adjustment reflects the recording of core deposit intangible on the acquired core deposit accounts.

[6] Adjustment reflects the deferred taxes on the difference in the carrying values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their basis for federal income tax purposes.

[7] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment to the subordinated deferrable interest debentures at the acquisition date.

[8] Adjustment reflects additional recording of fair value adjustment of the premise and equipment.

[9] Adjustment reflects additional recording of core deposit intangible on the acquired core deposit accounts.

[10] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments of the premise and equipment as of the acquisition date.

[11] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired deposits.

[12] Adjustment reflects the additional fair value adjustments of the available for sale portfolio as of the acquisition date.

[13] Adjustment reflects adjustment to the core deposit intangible on the acquired core deposit accounts.

[14] Adjustment reflects the additional deferred taxes on the difference in the carrying values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their basis for federal income tax purposes.

[15] Subsequent to acquisition, the acquired securities sold under agreements to repurchase were converted to deposit accounts and are no longer reported as securities sold under agreements to repurchase on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015.

[16] Adjustment reflects the elimination of Merchants’ allowance for loan losses.

[17] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired premises.

[18] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments based on the Company’s evaluation of interest rate swap liabilities.

[19] Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment to the subordinated deferrable interest debentures at the acquisition date.