Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Bank of Commerce Holdings (“Company,” “Holding Company,” “we,” or “us”), is a corporation organized under the laws of California and a bank holding company (“BHC”) registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHC Act”) with its principal offices in Sacramento, California. The Holding Company’s principal business is to serve as a holding company for Merchants Bank of Commerce (the “Bank” and together with the Holding Company, the “Company”) and for Bank of Commerce Mortgage (inactive). The Bank, which previously operated under three separate names, changed its name for all operations to Merchants Bank of Commerce effective May 20, 2019. We have an unconsolidated subsidiary in Bank of Commerce Holdings Trust II. The Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements or the audited consolidated financial statements, and have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. The Company believes that all adjustments (all of which are normal and recurring in nature) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included and the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and with prevailing practices within the banking and securities industries. In preparing such consolidated financial statements, management is required to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the reporting periods. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the valuation and impairment of investment securities, the determination of the allowance for loan and lease losses (“ALLL”), income taxes, the valuation of goodwill and Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”), and fair value measurements. Certain amounts for prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. The results of reclassifications are not considered material and have no effect on previously reported net income or shareholders' equity. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Bank of Commerce Holdings 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the 2020 interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results for any future interim period or the entire fiscal year. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Holding Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had one wholly-owned trust formed in 2005 to issue trust preferred securities and related common securities. We have not consolidated the accounts of the Trust in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB”), Consolidation (“ASC 810”). We are not considered the primary beneficiary of the Trust (variable interest entity). As a result, the junior subordinated debentures issued by the Holding Company to the Trust are reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Leases We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in Other Assets and Other Liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of our leases do not provide an incremental borrowing rate, we use borrowing rates available under our existing line of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for periods similar to the lease terms as our incremental borrowing rate to determine the present value of future lease payments. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease which we recognize when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Application of new accounting guidance In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The amendments in this ASU remove, modify, and add disclosure requirements for the fair value reporting of assets and liabilities. The modifications and additions relate to Level 3 fair value measurements at the end of the reporting period. ASU 2018-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We adopted the requirements of this ASU on January 1, 2020 and added disclosure about significant observable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements prospectively. As the ASU’s requirements only relate to disclosures, the amendments will not impact our financial condition or results of operations.

Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Bank of Commerce Holdings (“Company,” “Holding Company,” “we,” or “us”), is a corporation organized under the laws of California and a bank holding company (“BHC”) registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHC Act”) with its principal offices in Sacramento, California. The Holding Company’s principal business is to serve as a holding company for Merchants Bank of Commerce (the “Bank” and together with the Holding Company, the “Company”) and for Bank of Commerce Mortgage (inactive). The Bank, which previously operated under three separate names, changed its name for all operations to Merchants Bank of Commerce effective May 20, 2019. We have an unconsolidated subsidiary in Bank of Commerce Holdings Trust II. The Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements or the audited consolidated financial statements, and have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. The Company believes that all adjustments (all of which are normal and recurring in nature) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included and the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and with prevailing practices within the banking and securities industries. In preparing such consolidated financial statements, management is required to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the reporting periods. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the valuation and impairment of investment securities, the determination of the allowance for loan and lease losses (“ALLL”), income taxes, the valuation of goodwill and Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”), and fair value measurements. Certain amounts for prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. The results of reclassifications are not considered material and have no effect on previously reported net income or shareholders' equity. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Bank of Commerce Holdings 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the 2020 interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results for any future interim period or the entire fiscal year.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Holding Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had one wholly-owned trust formed in 2005 to issue trust preferred securities and related common securities. We have not consolidated the accounts of the Trust in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB”), Consolidation (“ASC 810”). We are not considered the primary beneficiary of the Trust (variable interest entity). As a result, the junior subordinated debentures issued by the Holding Company to the Trust are reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in Other Assets and Other Liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of our leases do not provide an incremental borrowing rate, we use borrowing rates available under our existing line of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for periods similar to the lease terms as our incremental borrowing rate to determine the present value of future lease payments. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease which we recognize when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Application of new accounting guidance

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The amendments in this ASU remove, modify, and add disclosure requirements for the fair value reporting of assets and liabilities. The modifications and additions relate to Level 3 fair value measurements at the end of the reporting period. ASU 2018-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We adopted the requirements of this ASU on January 1, 2020 and added disclosure about significant observable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements prospectively. As the ASU’s requirements only relate to disclosures, the amendments will not impact our financial condition or results of operations.