Variable Interest Entity (Details) (Indemnity)		12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2011 Erie Family Life Insurance Company (EFL)	Dec. 31, 2013 Management operations
Variable Interest Entity disclosures
Indemnity's maximum management fee rate as a percent of premiums written and assumed by the Exchange (as a percent)		25.00%
Indemnity's ownership interest in EFL sold to the Exchange (as a percent)	21.60%

Represents the maximum management fee rate, determined by the board of directors of the entity, calculated as a percentage of the direct and affiliated assumed written premiums.

No definition available.

Name:	erie_InsuranceAgencyManagementFeeMaximumPercent
Namespace Prefix:	erie_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration