CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 40,216,796	$ 25,045,243
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)	38,565,484	22,808,703
Depreciation and amortization attributable to costs of revenues	114,053	112,497
Gross profit	1,537,259	2,124,043
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	8,782,395	2,858,062
Depreciation and amortization attributable to operating expenses	26,916	26,916
Total operating expenses	8,809,311	2,884,978
Loss from operations	(7,272,052)	(760,935)
Other income (expense):
Other income	414,972	0
Gain on sale of assets	57,402	1,424
Loss on change in value of derivative warrant liability	(3,578,947)	(1,780,203)
Interest expense	(4,229,884)	(112,142)
Total other expense	(7,336,457)	(1,890,921)
Loss from continuing operations before income tax	(14,608,509)	(2,651,856)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0
Loss from continuing operations	(14,608,509)	(2,651,856)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	13,799,642	5,617,194
Net income (loss)	(808,867)	2,965,338
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from continuing operations	(68,164)	382,666
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from discontinued operations	3,806,753	1,608,303
Net income (loss) attributable to Vertex Energy, Inc.	(4,547,456)	974,369
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value from continued operations	(421,399)	(373,748)
Accretion of discount on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	0	(223,727)
Dividends on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	0	258,138
Net loss available to shareholders from continuing operations	(14,961,744)	(3,373,859)
Net income available to shareholders from discontinued operations, net of tax	9,992,889	4,008,891
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders	$ (4,968,855)	$ 635,032
Basic income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.07)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.16	0.08
Basic income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)	(0.08)	0.01
Diluted income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	(0.24)	(0.07)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.16	0.08
Diluted income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.08)	$ 0.01
Shares used in computing earnings per share
Basic (in shares)	63,372,005	47,709,450
Diluted (in shares)	63,372,005	49,006,195