Mergers and Acquisitions (Details 4) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Jul. 29, 2011 item	Dec. 31, 2011
Mergers and Acquisitions
Gains on acquisitions		$ 16,529,000
SCBT, N.A. (the "Bank") \| BankMeridian
Mergers and Acquisitions
Number of branches operated	3
Discount received on the assets acquired	30,800,000
Percentage of loan and foreclosed real estate losses covered by FDIC	80.00%
Period of loss sharing and bank reimbursement to FDIC applicable to single family assets (loans and OREO)	10 years
FDIC loss sharing period applicable to commercial assets (loans and OREO)	5 years
Period of bank reimbursement to FDIC applicable to commercial assets (loans and OREO)	8 years
Period of option from the date of acquisition, to purchase real estate and furniture and equipment from the FDIC	90 days
Gains on acquisitions		11,000,000
Merger-related expense		776,000
Estimated "true-up" payment to the FDIC at the end of the loss share agreement	$ 3,700,000

Represents the bank reimbursement period applicable to commercial assets.

No definition available.

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionBankReimbursementPeriodApplicableToCommercialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of discount received on assets acquired in a business combination transaction.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionDiscountOnAssetsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the loss sharing and bank reimbursement period applicable to single family assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionLossSharingAndBankReimbursementPeriodApplicableToSingleFamilyAssets
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the loss sharing period applicable to commercial assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionLossSharingPeriodApplicableToCommercialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of branches operated by the acquired entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionNumberOfBranchesOperatedByAcquiredEntity
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of loan and foreclosed real estate losses covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), under the loss sharing agreement with the FDIC.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfLoanAndForeclosedRealEstateLossesCoveredByFDIC
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period of option from the date of acquisition to purchase real estate and furniture and equipment of the acquiree from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) under the purchase and assumption agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_BusinessAcquisitionPeriodOfOptionToPurchaseRealEstateFurnitureAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the amount of the excess of the fair value of acquired net assets over the cost of an acquired business after pro rata reduction of the amounts that otherwise would have been assigned to acquired assets except financial assets other than investments accounted for by the equity method, assets to be disposed of by sale, deferred tax assets, and other current assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scbt_GainOnAcquisitionOfBank
Namespace Prefix:	scbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 23

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21917927&loc=d3e1043-128460

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant