VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate Assets	$ 369,116,000	[1]		$ 369,116,000	[1]		$ 336,375,000	[1]
Aggregate Liabilities	127,128,000	[1]		127,128,000	[1]		100,839,000	[1]
Liabilities and equity:
Loans payable related to investments by VIEs in real estate partnerships	98,562,000			98,562,000			76,464,000
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Funds [Abstract]
Number of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) funds	71			71
Number of guaranteed tax credit funds	1			1
Number of non-guaranteed tax credit funds	70			70
Number of general types of non-guaranteed tax credit funds	2			2
Number of non-guaranteed single investor funds	54			54
Number of non-guaranteed multi-investor funds	16			16
Number of non-guaranteed multi-investor funds that are consolidated	11			11
Entities Evaluated but Determined Not to Be VIEs [Abstract]
Number of LIHTC funds sponsored which are not VIEs	6			6
Ownership percentage of LIHTC funds which are not VIEs (in hundredths)	99.00%			99.00%
Maximum number of days that interests in tax credit limited partnerships are held (in days)	90D
Cumulative-Effect Adjustment, Deconsolidation of Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Cumulative effect adjustment [Abstract]
Number of VIEs affected by change in classification							2
Consolidated assets of VIEs affected by change in classification							3,500,000
Consolidated liabilities of VIEs affected by change in classification							0
After-tax cumulative effect increase (decrease) to retained earnings							(3,300,000)
After-tax cumulative effect increase (decrease) to noncontrolling interests							(6,800,000)
Cumulative-Effect Adjustment, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Cumulative effect adjustment [Abstract]
Number of VIEs affected by change in classification							2
Consolidated assets of VIEs affected by change in classification							56,800,000
Consolidated liabilities of VIEs affected by change in classification							42,100,000
Maximum ownership interest held in VIEs affected by change in classification (in hundredths)							1.00%
After-tax cumulative effect increase (decrease) to noncontrolling interests							14,700,000
Variable Interest Entity, LIHTC Funds-Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate Assets	261,245,000	[1]		261,245,000	[1]		234,742,000	[1]
Aggregate Liabilities	120,089,000	[1]		120,089,000	[1]		94,028,000	[1]
Variable Interest Entity, Guaranteed LIHTC Fund-Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate Assets	79,350,000	[1]		79,350,000	[1]		75,449,000	[1]
Aggregate Liabilities	867,000	[1]		867,000	[1]		2,382,000	[1]
Variable Interest Entity, Restricted Stock Trust Fund- Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate Assets	11,858,000	[1]		11,858,000	[1]		7,969,000	[1]
Aggregate Liabilities	6,172,000	[1]		6,172,000	[1]		4,429,000	[1]
EIF-Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Aggregate Assets	16,663,000	[1]		16,663,000	[1]		18,215,000	[1]
Aggregate Liabilities	0	[1]		0	[1]		0	[1]
Total VIEs-Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Assets:
Assets segregated pursuant to regulations and other segregated assets	19,150,000			19,150,000			14,188,000
Receivables, other	0			0			6,104,000
Investments in real estate partnerships - held by VIEs	320,480,000			320,480,000			280,890,000
Trust fund investment in RJF common stock	11,858,000	[2]		11,858,000	[2]		7,798,000	[2]
Prepaid expenses and other assets	17,831,000			17,831,000			19,398,000
Total assets	369,319,000			369,319,000			328,378,000
Liabilities and equity:
Loans payable related to investments by VIEs in real estate partnerships	98,562,000	[3]		98,562,000	[3]		76,464,000	[3]
Trade and other payables	8,283,000			8,283,000			2,722,000
Intercompany payables	15,188,000			15,188,000			16,930,000
Total liabilities	122,033,000			122,033,000			96,116,000
RJF Equity	5,961,000			5,961,000			5,205,000
Noncontrolling interests	241,325,000			241,325,000			227,057,000
Total equity	247,286,000			247,286,000			232,262,000
Total liabilities and equity	369,319,000			369,319,000			328,378,000
Interest	0		0	1,000		13,000
Other	3,164,000		1,093,000	5,755,000		3,262,000
Total revenues	3,164,000		1,093,000	5,756,000		3,275,000
Interest expense	1,430,000		1,026,000	4,563,000		3,252,000
Net revenues (expense)	1,734,000		67,000	1,193,000		23,000
Non-interest expenses	3,318,000		2,353,000	12,979,000		12,318,000
Net loss including noncontrolling interests	(1,584,000)		(2,286,000)	(11,786,000)		(12,295,000)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,238,000)		(2,755,000)	(10,866,000)		(11,302,000)
Net loss attributable to RJF	(346,000)		469,000	(920,000)		(993,000)
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Funds [Abstract]
Aggregate Assets	1,534,823,000			1,534,823,000			1,354,666,000
Aggregate Liabilities	519,461,000			519,461,000			341,448,000
Our Risk of Loss	44,104,000			44,104,000			30,937,000
Variable Interest Entity, LIHTC Funds- Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Funds [Abstract]
Aggregate Assets	1,493,219,000			1,493,219,000			1,303,500,000
Aggregate Liabilities	483,738,000			483,738,000			302,749,000
Our Risk of Loss	33,448,000			33,448,000			10,691,000
Variable Interest Entity, Other Real Estate Partnership and LLCs-Not Primary Beneficiary[Member]
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Funds [Abstract]
Aggregate Assets	41,604,000			41,604,000			51,166,000
Aggregate Liabilities	35,723,000			35,723,000			38,699,000
Our Risk of Loss	10,656,000			10,656,000			20,246,000
Variable Interest Entity, Managed Funds [Member]
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Funds [Abstract]
Aggregate Assets	14,756,000			14,756,000
Aggregate Liabilities	63,000			63,000
Our Risk of Loss	$ 981,000			$ 981,000

[1] Aggregate assets and aggregate liabilities differ from the consolidated carrying value of assets and liabilities due to elimination of intercompany assets and liabilities held by the consolidated VIE.

[2] Included in treasury stock in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

[3] Comprised of several non-recourse loans. We are not contingently liable under any of these loans.