Hallmark Financial Services (HALL) 10-K 9 Mar 17 2016 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 09, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES INC
Entity Central Index Key	819,913
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Trading Symbol	hall
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		18,616,982
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Entity Well-Known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Public Float			$ 157.3

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Debt securities, available-for-sale, at fair value (cost; $597,784 in 2016 and $538,629 in 2015)	$ 597,457	$ 531,325
Equity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value (cost; $31,449 in 2016 and $24,524 in 2015)	51,711	47,050
Other investments (cost; $3,763 in 2016 and $427 in 2015)	4,951	454
Total investments	654,119	578,829
Cash and cash equivalents	79,632	114,446
Restricted cash	7,327	8,522
Ceded unearned premiums	81,482	65,094
Premiums receivable	89,715	83,376
Accounts receivable	2,269	2,005
Receivable for securities	3,047	10,424
Reinsurance recoverable	147,821	114,287
Deferred policy acquisition costs	19,193	20,366
Goodwill	44,695	44,695
Intangible assets, net	12,491	14,959
Deferred federal income taxes, net	1,365	3,360
Federal income tax recoverable	3,951	1,779
Prepaid expenses	1,552	3,213
Other assets	13,801	10,192
Total assets	1,162,460	1,075,547
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Revolving credit facility payable	30,000	30,000
Subordinated debt securities (less unamortized debt issuance cost of $1,001 in 2016 and $1,053 in 2015)	55,701	55,649
Reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses	481,567	450,878
Unearned premiums	241,254	216,407
Reinsurance balances payable	46,488	33,741
Pension liability	2,203	2,496
Payable for securities	14,215	1,097
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	25,296	23,253
Total liabilities	896,724	813,521
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $.18 par value, authorized 33,333,333 shares; issued 20,872,831 shares in 2016 and 2015	3,757	3,757
Additional paid-in capital	123,166	123,480
Retained earnings	148,027	141,501
Accumulated other comprehensive income	10,371	7,418
Treasury stock (2,260,849 shares in 2016 and 1,775,512 in 2015), at cost	(19,585)	(14,130)
Total stockholders equity	265,736	262,026
Liabilities and equity, total	$ 1,162,460	$ 1,075,547

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt securities, available-for-sale, cost (in dollars)	$ 597,784	$ 538,629
Equity securities, available for sale, cost (in dollars)	31,449	24,524
Other investments, available-for-sale, cost (in dollars)	632,996	563,580
Unamortized debt issuance cost (in dollars)	$ 1,001	$ 1,053
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.18
Common stock, authorized shares	33,333,333	33,333,333
Common stock, issued shares	20,872,831	20,872,831
Treasury stock, shares	2,260,849	1,775,512
Other Investments [Member]
Other investments, available-for-sale, cost (in dollars)	$ 3,763	$ 427

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Consolidated Statements of Operations [Abstract]
Gross premiums written	$ 549,077	$ 514,223	$ 473,218
Ceded premiums written	(187,248)	(157,279)	(148,866)
Net premiums written	361,829	356,944	324,352
Change in unearned premiums	(8,459)	(7,863)	(3,135)
Net premiums earned	353,370	349,081	321,217
Investment income (loss), net of expenses	16,342	13,969	12,383
Net realized gains	(369)	2,503	134
Finance charges	4,977	5,952	5,279
Commissions and fees	1,427	213	(1,694)
Other income	205	684	47
Total revenues	375,952	372,402	337,366
Losses and loss adjustment expenses	253,688	230,149	210,055
Operating expenses	106,769	103,993	101,427
Interest expense	4,549	3,906	4,576
Amortization of intangible assets	2,468	2,468	2,526
Total expenses	367,474	340,516	318,584
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries and income tax benefit	8,478	31,886	18,782
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,952	10,023	5,353
Net income (loss)	6,526	21,863	13,429
Net income (loss) attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.	$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. common stockholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 1.14	$ 0.70
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.34	$ 1.13	$ 0.69

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in net actuarial gain (loss)	(145)	43	(1,723)
Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (loss)	51	(15)	603
Unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during the period	6,019	(10,191)	3,543
Tax effect on unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during the period	(2,107)	3,567	(1,240)
Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains	(1,331)	(5,826)	(408)
Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense	466	2,039	143
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	2,953	(10,383)	918
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 9,479	$ 11,480	$ 14,347

Consolidated Statements of Stoc

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Total
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 3,757	$ 122,827	$ 106,209	$ 16,883	$ (11,558)	$ 238,118
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	20,873,000				1,609,000
Acquisition of treasury shares					$ (1,805)	(1,805)
Acquisition of treasury shares (in shares)					181,000
Equity incentive plan activity		222				222
Stock options exercised		145			$ 1,010	1,155
Stock options, exercised (in shares)					(135,000)
Net income (loss)			13,429			13,429
Other comprehensive income, net of tax				918		918
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 3,757	123,194	119,638	17,801	$ (12,353)	252,037
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	20,873,000				1,655,000
Acquisition of treasury shares					$ (2,532)	(2,532)
Acquisition of treasury shares (in shares)					221,000
Equity incentive plan activity		383				383
Stock options exercised		(97)			$ 755	658
Stock options, exercised (in shares)					(100,000)
Net income (loss)			21,863			21,863
Other comprehensive income, net of tax				(10,383)		(10,383)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 3,757	123,480	141,501	7,418	$ (14,130)	262,026
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	20,873,000				1,776,000
Acquisition of treasury shares					$ (6,117)	(6,117)
Acquisition of treasury shares (in shares)					562,000
Equity incentive plan activity		(118)				(118)
Stock options exercised		(196)			$ 662	$ 466
Stock options, exercised (in shares)					(77,000)	(70,000)
Net income (loss)			6,526			$ 6,526
Other comprehensive income, net of tax				2,953		2,953
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 3,757	$ 123,166	$ 148,027	$ 10,371	$ (19,585)	$ 265,736
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	20,873,000				2,261,000

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense	3,894	3,516	3,224
Deferred federal income taxes	405	(1,030)	(393)
Net realized gains	369	(2,503)	(134)
Share-based payments expense	(118)	383	222
Change in ceded unearned premiums	(16,388)	(11,718)	(8,388)
Change in premiums receivable	(6,339)	(12,373)	154
Change in accounts receivable	(264)	1,136	(759)
Change in deferred policy acquisition costs	1,173	380	1,840
Change in unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses	30,689	35,743	32,495
Change in unearned premiums	24,847	19,581	11,523
Change in reinsurance recoverable	(33,534)	(4,568)	(32,901)
Change in reinsurance balances payable	12,747	7,338	5,805
Change in current federal income tax (recoverable)/payable	(2,172)	(2,747)	249
Change in all other liabilities	3,586	(1,368)	7,998
Change in all other assets	5,433	(697)	(680)
Net cash provided by operating activities	30,854	52,936	33,684
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment, net	(4,340)	(3,608)	(546)
Net transfers from restricted cash	1,195	3,392	276
Purchases of investment securities	(241,374)	(265,482)	(188,749)
Maturities, sales and redemptions of investment securities	186,286	169,409	146,777
Net cash used in investing activities	(58,233)	(96,289)	(42,242)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Activity under revolving credit facility, net		30,000	(1,473)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(96)
Payment of contingent consideration	(1,784)	(1,216)
Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options	466	658	1,155
Purchase of treasury shares	(6,117)	(2,532)	(1,805)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(7,435)	26,814	(2,123)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(34,814)	(16,539)	(10,681)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	114,446	130,985	141,666
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	79,632	114,446	130,985
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid	4,287	3,906	4,576
Income taxes paid	3,718	13,800	5,497
Supplemental schedule of non-cash activities:
Change in receivable for securities related to investment disposals that settled after the balance sheet date	7,377	(9,492)	388
Change in payable for securities related to investment purchases that settled after the balance sheet date	$ 13,118	$ (224)	$ 1,115

Accounting Policies

Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	 1. Accounting Policies :  General  Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (“Hallmark” and, together with subsidiaries, the “Company”, “we,” “us” or “our”) is an insurance holding company engaged in the sale of property/casualty insurance products to businesses and individuals. Our business involves marketing, distributing, underwriting and servicing our insurance products, as well as providing other insurance related services.  We market, distribute, underwrite and service our property/casualty insurance products primarily through subsidiaries whose operations are organized into product-specific operating units that are supported by our insurance company subsidiaries. Our MGA Commercial Products operating unit handles primarily commercial insurance products and services and is comprised of Hallmark Specialty Underwriters, Inc. (“HSU”), Pan American Acceptance Corporation (“PAAC”) and TGA Special Risk, Inc. (“TGASRI”). Our Specialty Commercial operating unit offers (i) general aviation insurance products and services, (ii) low and middle market commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance, (iii) medical professional liability insurance products and services, (iv) satellite launch insurance products, and (v) primary/excess commercial property coverages for both catastrophe and non-catastrophe exposures. Our Specialty Commercial operating unit is comprised of Aerospace Insurance Managers, Inc. (“Aerospace Insurance Managers”), Aerospace Special Risk, Inc. (“ASRI”), Aerospace Claims Management Group, Inc. (“ACMG”), Heath XS, LLC (“HXS”) and Hardscrabble Data Solutions, LLC (“HDS”). Our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit handles commercial insurance products and services and is comprised of American Hallmark Insurance Services, Inc. (“American Hallmark Insurance Services”) and Effective Claims Management, Inc. (“ECM”). Our Workers Compensation operating unit specializes in small and middle market workers compensation business and is comprised of TBIC Holding Corporation, Inc. (“TBIC Holding”), Texas Builders Insurance Company (“TBIC”) and TBIC Risk Management (“TBICRM”). Effective July 1, 2015, this operating unit no longer markets or retains any risk on new or renewal policies. Our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit handles personal insurance products and services and is comprised of American Hallmark General Agency, Inc. (“AHGA”) and Hallmark Claims Services, Inc. (“HCS”). Our insurance company subsidiaries supporting these operating units are American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas (“AHIC”), Hallmark Insurance Company (“HIC”), Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company (“HSIC”), Hallmark County Mutual Insurance Company (“HCM”), Hallmark National Insurance Company (“HNIC”) and TBIC.  These operating units are segregated into three reportable industry segments for financial accounting purposes. The Specialty Commercial Segment includes our MGA Commercial Products operating unit and our Specialty Commercial operating unit. The Standard Commercial Segment includes our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and our Workers Compensation operating unit. The Personal Segment consists solely of our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit.  Basis of Presentation  The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Hallmark and its subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) which, as to our insurance company subsidiaries, differ from statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted for insurance companies by insurance regulatory authorities.  Reclassifications  Certain prior year amounts have been reclassfied to conform with current year presentation .  Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements  Our preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and our reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Since future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment may be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.  Fair Value of Financial Instruments  Fair value estimates are made at a point in time, based on relevant market data as well as the best information available about the financial instruments. Fair value estimates for financial instruments for which no or limited observable market data is available are based on judgments regarding current economic conditions, credit and interest rate risk. These estimates involve significant uncertainties and judgments and cannot be determined with precision. As a result, such calculated fair value estimates may not be realizable in a current sale or immediate settlement of the instrument. In addition, changes in the underlying assumptions used in the fair value measurement technique, including discount rate and estimates of future cash flows, could significantly affect these fair value estimates.  Cash and Cash Equivalents: The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for these instruments approximate their fair values.  Restricted Cash: The carrying amount for restricted cash reported in the balance sheet approximates the fair value.  Revolving Credit Facility Payable: Our revolving credit facility with Frost Bank had a carried value of $30.0 million and a fair value of $30.2 million as of December 31, 2016. The fair value is based on discounted cash flows using a discount rate derived from LIBOR spot rates plus a market spread resulting in discount rates ranging between 3.3% to 4.5% for each future payment date. This revolving credit facility would be included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy if it was reported at fair value. Subordinated debt securities: Our trust preferred securities are reported at carry value of $55.7 million and $55.6 million, and had a fair value of $44.2 million and $44.2 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The fair value of our trust preferred securities is based on discounted cash flows using current yields to maturity of 8.0% and 8.0% as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are based on similar issues to discount future cash flows and would be included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy if they were reported at fair value.  For reinsurance balances, premiums receivable, federal income tax payable, other assets and other liabilities, the carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short maturity of such financial instruments.  Investments  Debt and equity securities available for sale are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses are recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity, net of related tax effects. Equity securities that are determined to have other-than-temporary impairment are recognized as a loss on investments in the consolidated statements of operations. Debt securities that are determined to have other-than-temporary impairment are recognized as a loss on investments in the consolidated statements of operations for the portion that is related to credit deterioration with the remaining portion recognized in other comprehensive income. Debt security premiums and discounts are amortized into earnings using the effective interest method. Maturities of debt securities and sales of equity securities are recorded in receivable for securities until the cash is settled. Purchases of debt and equity securities are recorded in payable for securities until the cash is settled.  Other investments consists of an equity warrant which is reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses are reported in the statement of operations as a component of net realized gains (losses).  Realized investment gains and losses are recognized in operations on the specific identification method.  Cash and Cash Equivalents  We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  Restricted Cash  We collect premiums from customers and, after deducting authorized commissions, remit these premiums to the Company’s consolidated insurance subsidiaries. Unremitted insurance premiums are held in a fiduciary capacity until disbursed to the Company’s consolidated insurance subsidiaries.  Premiums Receivable  Premiums receivable represent amounts due from policyholders or independent agents for premiums written and uncollected. These balances are carried at net realizable value.  Reinsurance  We are routinely involved in reinsurance transactions with other companies. Reinsurance premiums, losses and loss adjustment expenses (“LAE”) are accounted for on bases consistent with those used in accounting for the original policies issued and the terms of the reinsurance contracts. (See Note 7.)  Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs  Policy acquisition costs (mainly commission, underwriting and marketing expenses) that are directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts are deferred and charged to operations over periods in which the related premiums are earned. The method followed in computing deferred policy acquisition costs limits the amount of such deferred costs to their estimated realizable value. In determining estimated realizable value, the computation gives effect to the premium to be earned, expected investment income, losses and LAE and certain other costs expected to be incurred as the premiums are earned. If the computation results in an estimated net realizable value less than zero, a liability will be accrued for the premium deficiency. During 2016, 2015 and 2014, we deferred $37.9 million, $32.3 million and $39.1 million of policy acquisition costs and amorti zed $39.1 million, $32.7 million and $40.9 million of deferred policy acquisition costs, respectively. Therefore, the net (amortization) deferrals of policy acquisition costs were ($1.2) million, ($0.4) million and ($1.8) million for 2016, 2015 and 201 4, respectively.  Business Combinations  We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, “Business Combinations.” The base cash purchase price plus the estimated fair value of any non-cash or contingent consideration given for an acquired business is allocated to the assets acquired (including identified intangible assets) and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair values of such assets and liabilities. The excess of the fair value of the total consideration given for an acquired business over the aggregate net fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. Contingent consideration is recognized as a liability at fair value as of the acquisition date with subsequent fair value adjustments recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. The valuation of contingent consideration requires assumptions regarding anticipated cash flows, probabilities of cash flows, discount rates and other factors. Significant judgment is employed in determining the propriety of these assumptions as of the acquisition date and for each subsequent period. Accordingly, future business and economic conditions, as well as changes in any of the assumptions, can materially impact the amount of contingent consideration expense we record in any given period. Indirect and general expenses related to business combinations are expensed as incurred.  Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net  We account for our goodwill and intangible assets according to ASC 350, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other.” Under ASC 350 , Intangible assets with a finite life are amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset. Goodwill and intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. Goodwill and intangible assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. For goodwill, we may perform a qualitative test to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The first step of the quantitative test is to identify if a potential impairment exists by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill (“Step 1”). If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered to have a potential impairment and the second step is not necessary. However, if the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step (“Step 2”) is performed to determine if goodwill is impaired and to measure the amount of impairment loss to recognize, if any. Step 2 compares the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying amount of goodwill. If the implied value of goodwill is less than the carrying amount of goodwill, it is written down to its fair value with a corresponding expense reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The implied goodwill is calculated based on a hypothetical purchase price allocation, similar to the requirements in the accounting guidance for business combinations, whereby the implied fair value of the reporting unit is allocated to the fair value of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. We have elected to perform our goodwill impairment test on the first day of the fourth quarter, October 1, of each year.  Leases  We have several leases, primarily for office facilities and computer equipment, which expire in various years through 2022. Some of these leases include rent escalation provisions throughout the term of the lease. We expense the average annual cost of the lease with the difference to the actual rent invoices recorded as deferred rent which is classified in accounts payable and other accrued expenses on our consolidated balance sheets.  Property and Equipment  Property and equipment (including leasehold improvements), aggregating $22.2 million and $ 17.9 million, at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which is included in other assets, is recorded at cost and is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets ( three to ten years). Depreciation expense for 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $1.4 million, $1.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively. Accumulated depreciation was $15.1 million and $13.7 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  Variable Interest Entities  On June 21, 2005, we formed Hallmark Statutory Trust I (“Trust I”), an unconsolidated trust subsidiary, for the sole purpose of issuing $30.0 million in trust preferred securities. Trust I used the proceeds from the sale of these securities and our initial capital contribution to purchase $30.9 million of subordinated debt securities from Hallmark. The debt securities are the sole assets of Trust I, and the payments under the debt securities are the sole revenues of Trust I.  On August 23, 2007, we formed Hallmark Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”), an unconsolidated trust subsidiary, for the sole purpose of issuing $25.0 million in trust preferred securities. Trust II used the proceeds from the sale of these securities and our initial capital contribution to purchase $25.8 million of subordinated debt securities from Hallmark. The debt securities are the sole assets of Trust II, and the payments under the debt securities are the sole revenues of Trust II.  We evaluate on an ongoing basis our investments in Trust I and Trust II (collectively, the “Trusts”) and we do not have variable interests in the Trusts. Therefore, the Trusts are not consolidated in our consolidated financial statements.  We are also involved in the normal course of business with variable interest entities primarily as a passive investor in mortgage-backed securities and certain collateralized corporate bank loans issued by third party variable interest entities. The maximum exposure to loss with respect to these investments is limited to the investment carrying values included in the consolidated balance sheets.  Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses  Losses and LAE represent the estimated ultimate net cost of all reported and unreported losses incurred through December 31, 2016 and 2015. The reserves for unpaid losses and LAE are estimated using individual case-basis valuations and statistical analyses. These estimates are subject to the effects of trends in loss severity and frequency. Although considerable variability is inherent in such estimates, we believe that the reserves for unpaid losses and LAE are adequate. The estimates are continually reviewed and adjusted as experience develops or new information becomes known. Such adjustments are included in current operations.   Recognition of Premium Revenues  Insurance premiums are earned pro rata over the terms of the policies. Insurance policy fees are earned as of the effective date of the policy. Upon cancellation, any unearned premium is refunded to the insured. Insurance premiums written include gross policy fees of $9.8 million, $11.2 million and $11.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Insurance premiums on monthly reporting workers’ compensation policies are earned on the conclusion of the monthly coverage period. Deposit premiums for workers’ compensation policies are earned upon the expiration of the policy.  Finance Charges  We receive premium installment fees for each direct bill payment from policyholders. Installment fee income is classified as finance charges on the consolidated statement of operations and is recognized as the fee is invoiced.  Relationship with Third Party Insurers  Through December 31, 2005, our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit marketed policies on behalf of Clarendon National Insurance Company (“Clarendon”), a third-party insurer. Through December 31, 2008, all business of our MGA Commercial Products operating unit was produced under a fronting agreement with member companies of the Republic Group (“Republic”), a third-party insurer. These insurance contracts on third party paper are accounted for under agency accounting. Ceding commissions and other fees received under these arrangements were classified as unearned commission revenue until earned pro rata over the terms of the policies.  Profit sharing commission is calculated and recognized when the loss ratio, as determined by a qualified actuary, deviates from contractual targets. We received a provisional commission as policies were produced as an advance against the later determination of the profit sharing commission actually earned. The profit sharing commission is an estimate that varies with the estimated loss ratio and is sensitive to changes in that estimate. Profit share commission is classified as commissions and fees on the consolidated statement of operations .  The following table details the profit sharing commission provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for each effective quota share treaty between the Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and Clarendon.      Treaty Effective Dates  7/1/2001 7/1/2002 7/1/2003 7/1/2004 7/1/2005  Provisional loss ratio 60.0% 59.0% 59.0% 64.2% 64.2%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 63.5% 64.5% 61.2% 66.1% 61.0%  As of December 31, 2016, we had a payable of $0.6 million on these profit share treaties. The payable or receivable is the difference between the cash received to date and the recognized commission revenue based on the estimated ultimate loss ratio.  The following table details the profit sharing commission revenue provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for the effective quota share treaty between the MGA Commercial Products operating unit and Republic.       Treaty Effective Dates  1/1/2006 1/1/2007 1/1/2008  Provisional loss ratio 65.0% 65.0% 65.0%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 59.1% 65.0% 60.6%  As of December 31, 2016, we had a net payable of $1.1 million on these profit share treaties. The payable or receivable is the difference between the cash received to date and the recognized commission revenue based on the estimated ultimate loss ratio.  Agent Commissions  We pay monthly commissions to agents based on written premium produced, but generally recognize the expense pro rata over the term of the policy. If the policy is cancelled prior to its expiration, the unearned portion of the agent commission is refundable to us. The unearned portion of commissions paid to agents is included in deferred policy acquisition costs. We annually pay a profit sharing commission to our independent agency force based upon the results of the business produced by each agent. We estimate and accrue this liability to commission expense in the year the business is produced.  Commission expense is classified as operating expenses in the consolidated statement s of operations.  Income Taxes  We file a consolidated federal income tax return. Deferred federal income taxes reflect the future tax consequences of differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each year end. Deferred taxes are recognized using the liability method, whereby tax rates are applied to cumulative temporary differences based on when and how they are expected to affect the tax return. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for tax rate changes in effect for the year in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.  Earnings Per Share  The computation of earnings per share is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus the effect of common shares potentially issuable (in periods in which they have a dilutive effect), primarily from stock options. (See Notes 11 and 13.)  Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements  In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, "Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis" (Topic 810). ASU 2015-02 changes the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether entities should be consolidated if they are deemed variable interest entities. It is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. We have adopted this standard as of the effective date, and the adoption did not impact our financial statements.  In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs,” which amends the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 835-30 “Interest-Imputation of Interest.” ASU 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. For public business entities, the guidance was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2016 and adjusted our prior period balances to reflect the adoption of this guidance.  In May 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires additional disclosures about short-duration contracts for products in effect for typically a year or less. The disclosures will focus on the liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We have adopted this standard as of the effective date, and the adoption had no impact on our financial statements other than to provide for additional footnote disclosures.  Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements  In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance which revises the criteria for revenue recognition. Insurance contracts are excluded from the scope of the new guidance. Under the guidance, the transaction price is attributed to underlying performance obligations in the contract and revenue is recognized as the entity satisfies the performance obligations and transfers control of a good or service to the customer. Incremental costs of obtaining a contract may be capitalized to the extent the entity expects to recover those costs. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and is to be applied retrospectively. Revenue from insurance contracts is excluded from the scope of this new guidance and as a result, adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.  In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (Subtopic 825-10). ASU 2016-01 will require equity investments that are not consolidated or accounted for under the equity method of accounting to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. This ASU will also require us to assess the ability to realize our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) related to an available-for-sale debt security in combination with our other DTAs. The ASU will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. While we continue to evaluate the impact of this ASU, we anticipate the standard will increase the volatility of our consolidated statements of income, resulting from the remeasurement of our equity investments.  In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires organizations that lease assets to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. Additionally, the ASU modifies current guidance for lessors' accounting. The ASU is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate that this ASU will have a material impact on our results of operations, but we anticipate an increase to the value of our assets and liabilities related to leases, with no material impact to equity.  In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (Topic 326). ASU 2016-13 requires organizations to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including receivables and available-for-sale debt securities, by introducing an approach based on expected losses. The expected loss approach will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The ASU requires a modified retrospective transition method and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of the ASU will have on our financial results and disclosures, but do not anticipate that any such potential impact would be material.

Investments

Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Investments [Abstract]
Investments	  2. Investments : The amortized cost and estimated fair value of investments in debt and equity securities by category is as follows (in thousands):      As of December 31, 2016 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 41,976 $ 66 $ (20) $ 42,022  Corporate bonds 224,915 1,722 (575) 226,062  Collateralized corporate bank loans 105,220 959 (170) 106,009  Municipal bonds 165,900 956 (2,961) 163,895  Mortgage-backed 59,773 49 (353) 59,469   Total debt securities 597,784 3,752 (4,079) 597,457   Total equity securities 31,449 21,052 (790) 51,711   Total other investments 3,763 1,188 - 4,951   Total investments $ 632,996 $ 25,992 $ (4,869) $ 654,119   As of December 31, 2015  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 76,323 $ 7 $ (61) $ 76,269  Corporate bonds 122,894 637 (1,822) 121,709  Collateralized corporate bank loans 83,434 44 (1,882) 81,596  Municipal bonds 196,446 1,888 (5,966) 192,368  Mortgage-backed 59,532 155 (304) 59,383   Total debt securities 538,629 2,731 (10,035) 531,325   Total equity securities 24,524 23,364 (838) 47,050   Total other investments 427 27 - 454   Total investments $ 563,580 $ 26,122 $ (10,873) $ 578,829            Major categories of net investment income are summarized as follows (in thousands):      Twelve Months Ended December 31  2016 2015 2014  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 594 $ 670 $ 395  Corporate bonds 5,573 1,435 1,378  Collateralized corporate bank loans 3,190 4,727 4,400  Municipal bonds 5,442 5,901 5,232  Mortgage-backed 1,320 1,288 995  Equity securities 638 673 509  Other investments - - -  Cash and cash equivalents 277 148 230  17,034 14,842 13,139  Investment expenses (692) (873) (756)  Investment income, net of expenses $ 16,342 $ 13,969 $ 12,383  No investments in any entity or its affiliates exceeded 10% of stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2016 or 2015.  Major categories of net realized gains (losses) on investments are summarized as follows (in thousands):      Twelve Months Ended December 31  2016 2015 2014  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ - $ -  Corporate bonds (264) - 263  Collateralized corporate bank loans (86) 126 109  Municipal bonds (189) (83) (140)  Mortgage-backed (1) 240 32  Equity securities 1,871 5,543 144  Gain on investments 1,331 5,826 408  Unrealized gain on other investments 1,188 - -  Other-than-temporary impairments (2,888) (3,323) (274)  Net realized (losses) gains $ (369) $ 2,503 $ 134  We realized gross gains on investments of $2.1 million, $6.7 million, and $0.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We realized gross losses on investments of $0.8 million, $0.9 million and $0.2 million during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We recorded proceeds from the sale of investment securities of $28.5 million, $51.7 million and $15.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Realized investment gains and losses are recognized in operations on the specific identification method.   The following schedules summarize the gross unrealized losses showing the length of time that investments have been continuously in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands):      As of December 31, 2016  12 months or less Longer than 12 months Total  Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 7,037 $ (20) $ - $ - $ 7,037 $ (20)  Corporate bonds 86,592 (575) - - 86,592 (575)  Collateralized corporate bank loans 2,637 (7) 8,314 (163) 10,951 (170)  Municipal bonds 70,633 (1,327) 13,574 (1,634) 84,207 (2,961)  Mortgage-backed 29,475 (348) 2,430 (5) 31,905 (353)  Total debt securities 196,374 (2,277) 24,318 (1,802) 220,692 (4,079)   Total equity securities 4,109 (483) 2,037 (307) 6,146 (790)   Total other investments - - - - - -   Total investments $ 200,483 $ (2,760) $ 26,355 $ (2,109) $ 226,838 $ (4,869)      As of December 31, 2015  12 months or less Longer than 12 months Total  Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 41,428 $ (61) $ - $ - $ 41,428 $ (61)  Corporate bonds 96,475 (1,822) - - 96,475 (1,822)  Collateralized corporate bank loans 65,868 (1,758) 3,532 (124) 69,400 (1,882)  Municipal bonds 44,525 (488) 25,310 (5,478) 69,835 (5,966)  Mortgage-backed 36,251 (302) 48 (2) 36,299 (304)  Total debt securities 284,547 (4,431) 28,890 (5,604) 313,437 (10,035)   Total equity securities 6,584 (838) - - 6,584 (838)   Total other investments - - - - - -   Total investments $ 291,131 $ (5,269) $ 28,890 $ (5,604) $ 320,021 $ (10,873)   At December 31, 2016, the gross unrealized losses more than twelve months old were attributable to 28 debt security positions and one equity position . At December 31, 2015, the gross unrealized losses more than twelve months old were attributable to 39 debt security positions. We consider these losses as a temporary decline in value as they are predominately on securities that we do not intend to sell and do not believe we will be required to sell prior to recovery of our amortized cost basis. We see no other indications that the decline in values of these securities is other-than-temporary.  Based on evidence gathered through our normal credit evaluation process, we presently expect that all debt securities held in our investment portfolio will be paid in accordance with their contractual terms. Nonetheless, it is at least reasonably possible that the performance of certain issuers of these debt securities will be worse than currently expected resulting in future write-downs within our portfolio of debt securities.  Also, as a result of the challenging market conditions, we expect the volatility in the valuation of our equity securities to continue in the foreseeable future. This volatility may lead to impairments on our equity securities portfolio or changes regarding retention strategies for certain equity securities.  We complete a detailed analysis each quarter to assess whether any decline in the fair value of any investment below cost is deemed other-than-temporary. All securities with an unrealized loss are reviewed. We recognize an impairment loss when an investment's value declines below cost, adjusted for accretion, amortization and previous other-than-temporary impairments and it is determined that the decline is other-than-temporary. We recognized other-than-temporary losses on our debt securities portfolio of $2.9 million during 2016. Of the $2.9 million other-than-temporary impairments recorded for fiscal 2016, $2.6 million relate to credit losses on certain senior and subordinated municipal bonds. We utilized the most recent restructuring offer for each of the senior and subordinated bonds to estimate the credit loss portion of the other-than-temporary impairments. Debt Investments: We assess whether we intend to sell, or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell, a fixed maturity investment before recovery of its amortized cost basis less any current period credit losses. For fixed maturity investments that are considered other-than-temporarily impaired and that we do not intend to sell and will not be required to sell, we separate the amount of the impairment into the amount that is credit related (credit loss component) and the amount due to all other factors. The credit loss component is recognized in earnings and is the difference between the investment’s amortized cost basis and the present value of its expected future cash flows. The remaining difference between the investment’s fair value and the present value of future expected cash flows is recognized in other comprehensive income.  Equity Investments: Some of the factors considered in evaluating whether a decline in fair value for an equity investment is other-than-temporary include: (1) our ability and intent to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for an anticipated recovery in value; (2) the recoverability of cost; (3) the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than cost; and (4) the financial condition and near-term and long-term prospects for the issuer, including the relevant industry conditions and trends, and implications of rating agency actions and offering prices. When it is determined that an equity investment is other-than-temporarily impaired, the security is written down to fair value, and the amount of the impairment is included in earnings as a realized investment loss. The fair value then becomes the new cost basis of the investment, and any subsequent recoveries in fair value are recognized at disposition. We recognize a realized loss when impairment is deemed to be other-than-temporary even if a decision to sell an equity investment has not been made. When we decide to sell a temporarily impaired available-for-sale equity investment and we do not expect the fair value of the equity investment to fully recover prior to the expected time of sale, the investment is deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired in the period in which the decision to sell is made.  Details regarding the carrying value of the other invested assets portfolio as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:     2016 2015  Investment Type  Equity warrant $ 4,951 $ 454  Total other investments $ 4,951 $ 454  We acquired this equity warrant in an active market and it entitles us to buy the underlying common stock of a publicly traded company at a fixed exercise price until the expiration date of January 19, 2021.   The amortized cost and estimated fair value of debt securities at December 31, 2016 by contractual maturity are as follows. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because certain borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without penalties.      Amortized Cost Fair Value  (in thousands)  Due in one year or less $ 97,836 $ 97,849  Due after one year through five years 272,190 272,168  Due after five years through ten years 114,461 115,248  Due after ten years 53,524 52,723  Mortgage-backed 59,773 59,469  $ 597,784 $ 597,457   We have certain of our securities pledged for the benefit of various state insurance departments and reinsurers. These securities are included with our available-for-sale debt securities because we have the ability to trade these securities. We retain the interest earned on these securities. These securities had a carrying value of $21.1 million at December 31, 2016 and a carrying value of $17.6 million at December 31, 2015.

Fair Value

Fair Value	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value [Abstract]
Fair Value	  3. Fair Value:  ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure requirements about fair value measurements. ASC 820, among other things, requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. In addition, ASC 820 precludes the use of block discounts when measuring the fair value of instruments traded in an active market, which were previously applied to large holdings of publicly traded equity securities.  We determine the fair value of our financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy established in ASC 820. In accordance with ASC 820, we utilize the following fair value hierarchy:    Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets;    Level 2: inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, inputs of identical assets for less active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the instrument; and    Level 3: inputs to the valuation methodology that are unobservable for the asset or liability.  This hierarchy requires the use of observable market data when available.  Under ASC 820, we determine fair value based on the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. It is our policy to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when developing fair value measurements, in accordance with the fair value hierarchy described above. Fair value measurements for assets and liabilities where there exists limited or no observable market data are calculated based upon our pricing policy, the economic and competitive environment, the characteristics of the asset or liability and other factors as appropriate. These estimated fair values may not be realized upon actual sale or immediate settlement of the asset or liability.  Where quoted prices are available on active exchanges for identical instruments, investment securities are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Level 1 investment securities include common and preferred stock and the equity warrant classified as Other Investment s .  Level 2 investment securities include corporate bonds, collateralized corporate bank loans, municipal bonds, U.S. Treasury securities, other obligations of the U.S. Government and mortgage-backed securities for which quoted prices are not available on active exchanges for identical instruments. We use third party pricing services to determine fair values for each Level 2 investment security in all asset classes. Since quoted prices in active markets for identical assets are not available, these prices are determined using observable market information such as quotes from less active markets and/or quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics, among other things. We have reviewed the processes used by the pricing services and have determined that they result in fair values consistent with the requirements of ASC 820 for Level 2 investment securities. We have not adjusted any prices received from third party pricing services. There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities.  In cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to the valuation, investment securities are classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. Level 3 investments are valued based on the best available data in order to approximate fair value. This data may be internally developed and consider risk premiums that a market participant would require. Investment securities classified within Level 3 include other less liquid investment securities.    The following table presents for each of the fair value hierarchy levels, our assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands).       As of December 31, 2016  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ 42,022 $ - $ 42,022  Corporate bonds - 226,062 - 226,062  Collateralized corporate bank loans - 106,009 - 106,009  Municipal bonds - 158,216 5,679 163,895  Mortgage-backed - 59,469 - 59,469  Total debt securities - 591,778 5,679 597,457   Total equity securities 51,445 - 266 51,711   Total other investments 4,951 - - 4,951  Total investments $ 56,396 $ 591,778 $ 5,945 $ 654,119      As of December 31, 2015  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ 76,269 $ - $ 76,269  Corporate bonds - 121,709 - 121,709  Collateralized corporate bank loans - 81,596 - 81,596  Municipal bonds - 178,281 14,087 192,368  Mortgage-backed - 59,383 - 59,383  Total debt securities - 517,238 14,087 531,325   Total equity securities 47,050 - - 47,050   Total other investments 454 - - 454  Total investments $ 47,504 $ 517,238 $ 14,087 $ 578,829     Due to significant unobservable inputs into the valuation model for certain municipal bonds in illiquid markets, we classified these as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. We used an income approach in order to derive an estimated fair value of the municipal bonds classified as Level 3, which included inputs such as expected holding period, benchmark swap rate, benchmark discount rate and a discount rate premium for illiquidity. Significant changes in the unobservable inputs in the fair value measurement of these municipal bonds could result in a significant change in the fair value measurement.  The following table summarizes the changes in fair value for all financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands).      2016 2015  Beginning balance as of January 1 $ 14,087 $ 14,598  Sales - (370)  Settlements (8,825) -  Purchases - -  Issuances - -  Total realized/unrealized gains included in net income 417 -  Net losses included in other comprehensive income - (141)  Transfers into Level 3 266 -  Transfers out of Level 3 - -  Ending balance as of December 31 $ 5,945 $ 14,087 

Acquisitions, Goodwill and Inta

Acquisitions, Goodwill and Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Acquisitions, Goodwill and Intangible Assets	   4. Acquisitions, Goodwill and Intangible Assets:    On June 30, 2015, Redpoint Comp Holdings LLC (“Purchaser”) acquired exclusive renewal rights to our current in-force Texas workers compensation policies, together with certain physical assets associated with the administration of such in-force policies. In consideration for such renewal rights and physical assets, Purchaser assumed certain office lease obligations and offered employment to certain of our employees associated with the Workers Compensation operating unit. Purchaser also agreed to administer the run-off of all of our current workers compensation policies and claims for a period of three years. In connection with the transaction, we made a one-time payment to the Purchaser of $ 83,000 . We also agreed not to compete in the workers compensation line of insurance in the State of Texas (with certain exceptions) until after the assumed office lease obligations expire on October 31, 2017. We recorded a gain of $ 0.2 million during the second quarter of 2015 in Other Income in the Consolidated Statement of Operations on the sale of the renewal rights. On September 15, 2015, we executed Amendment No. 1 to the sale agreement with the Purchaser. Pursuant to the Amendment, the Purchaser has agreed to pay us an additional $ 115,000 and administer the run-off of all of our workers compensation policies and claims in perpetuity or through final conclusion (rather than for three years as contemplated by the original agreement) in consideration of us assigning to Purchaser the commission on all unearned premiums on such policies as of July 1, 2015. We recorded an additional gain of $ 0.4 million during the third quarter of 2015 in Other Income in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as a result of this Amendment No.1.  Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating unit or one level below an operating unit) on an annual basis (October 1) and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. For purposes of evaluating goodwill for impairment, we have determined that our reporting units are the same as our operating units except for the Specialty Commercial operating unit for which reporting units are at the component level (“one level below”). Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 includes goodwill of acquired businesses of $44.7 million that is assigned to our operating units as follows: Standard Commercial P&C operating unit - $2.1 million; MGA Commercial Products operating unit - $19.8 million; Specialty Commercial operating unit- $17.4 million (comprised of $7.7 million for the primary/ excess & umbrella component and $9.7 million for the general aviation and satellite component); and Specialty Personal Lines operating unit - $5.4 million. This amount has been recorded as a result of prior bus iness acquisitions accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under ASC 350, “Intangibles- Goodwill and Other,” goodwill is tested for impairment annually. We completed our last annual test for impairment on the first day of the fourth quarter of 2016 and determined that there was no impairment.  The income approach to determining fair value computed the projections of the cash flows that the reporting unit was expected to generate converted into a present value equivalent through discounting. Significant assumptions in the income approach model included income projections, discount rates and terminal growth values. The income projections reflect ed an improved premium rate environment across most of our lines of business that continued throughout 201 6 . The income projections also included loss and LAE assumptions which reflected recent historical claim trends and the movement towards a more favorable pricing environment. The income projections also included assumptions for expense growth and investment yields which were based on business plans for each of our operating units. The discount rate was based on a risk free rate plus a beta adjusted equity risk premium and specific company risk premium. The assumptions were based on historical experience, expectations of future performance, expected market conditions and other factors requiring judgment and estimates. While we believe the assumptions used in these models were reasonable, the inherent uncertainty in predicting future performance and market conditions may change over time and influence the outcome of future testing.  During 2016, 2015, and 2014, we completed the first step prescribed by ASC 350 for testing for impairment and determined that there was no impairment.  We have obtained various intangible assets from several acquisitions since 2002. The table below details the gross and net carrying amounts of these assets by major category (in thousands):      December 31  2016 2015  Gross Carrying Amount:  Customer/agent relationships $ 32,177 $ 32,177  Tradename 3,440 3,440  Management agreement 3,232 3,232  Non-compete & employment agreements 4,235 4,235  Insurance licenses 1,300 1,300  Total gross carrying amount 44,384 44,384   Accumulated Amortization:  Customer/agent relationships (22,038) (19,799)  Tradename (2,388) (2,159)  Management agreement (3,232) (3,232)  Non-compete & employment agreements (4,235) (4,235)  Total accumulated amortization (31,893) (29,425)  Total net carrying amount $ 12,491 $ 14,959  Insurance licenses are not amortized because they have an indefinite life. We amortize definite-lived intangible assets straight line over their respective lives. The estimated aggregate amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets for the next five years is as follows (in thousands):      2017 $ 2,468  2018 $ 2,468  2019 $ 2,468  2020 $ 2,468  2021 $ 503   The weighted average amortization period for definite-lived intangible assets by major class is as follows:     Years  Tradename 15  Customer/ agent relationships 15  Management agreement 4  Non-compete agreements 5  The aggregate weighted average period to amortize these assets is approximately 13 years.

Other Assets

Other Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Assets [Abstract]
Other Assets	 5. Other Assets: The following table details our other assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):     2016 2015  Profit sharing commission receivable $ 251 $ 228  Credit Facility B issuance costs 109 92  Accrued investment income 4,599 3,876  Investment in unconsolidated trust subsidiaries 1,702 1,702  Fixed assets 6,947 4,120  Other assets 193 174  $ 13,801 $ 10,192 

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses [Abstract]
Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses	   6. Reserves for Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses:  Activity in the consolidated reserves for unpaid losses and LAE is summarized as follows (in thousands):       2016 2015 2014   Balance at January 1 $ 450,878 $ 415,135 $ 382,640  Less reinsurance recoverable 102,791 91,943 70,172  Net balance at January 1 348,087 323,192 312,468   Incurred related to:  Current year 246,080 237,102 215,258  Prior years 7,608 (6,953) (5,203)  Total incurred 253,688 230,149 210,055   Paid related to:  Current year 93,067 83,132 76,231  Prior years 150,378 122,122 123,100  Total paid 243,445 205,254 199,331   Net balance at December 31 358,330 348,087 323,192  Plus reinsurance recoverable 123,237 102,791 91,943  Balance at December 31 $ 481,567 $ 450,878 $ 415,135  The $7.6 million unfavorable net development, $7.0 million favorable net development and $5.2 million favorable net development in prior accident years recognized in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, represent normal changes in our loss reserve estimates. In 2016 , the aggregate loss reserve estimates for prior years were increased to reflect unfavorable loss development when the available information indicated a reasonable likelihood that the ultimate losses would be more than the previous estimates. In 2015 and 2014, the aggregate loss reserve estimates for prior years were decreased to reflect favorable loss development when the available information indicated a reasonable likelihood that the ultimate losses would be less than the previous estimates. Generally, changes in reserves are caused by variations between actual experience and previous expectations and by reduced emphasis on the Bornhuetter-Ferguson method due to the aging of the accident years.  The $7.6 million increase in prior period reserves for unpaid losses and LAE recognized in 2016 was attributable to $5.3 million favorable net development on claims incurred in the 2015 accident year, $3.9 million unfavorable net development on claims incurred in the 2014 accident year and $9.0 million unfavorable net development on claims incurred in the 2013 and prior accident years. Our MGA Commercial Products operating unit, Specialty Personal Lines operating unit and Specialty Commercial operating unit accounted for $11.3 million, $5.0 million, and $1.2 million, respectively, of the increase in prior period reserves recognized during 2016. The increase in reserves for our MGA Commercial operating unit was primarily related to our commercial auto liability line of business. The increase in reserves for our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit was primarily attributable to the 2015, 2014 and 2013 and prior accident years. The increase in reserves for our Specialty Commercial operating unit was primarily related to $0.9 million unfavorable development in our medical professional liability products and $0.7 million related to our commercial auto liability specialty program, partially offset by $0.3 million favorable development in our general aviation line of business and $0.1 million favorable development in our commercial excess liability line of business. These unfavorable developments were partially offset by favorable development of $6.6 million in our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and $3.3 in our Workers Compensation operating unit. The decrease in reserves for our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit was primarily related to our general liability lines of business. The decrease in prior period reserves for our Workers Compensation operating unit was attributable to the 2015, 2014, 2013 and prior accident years. Short-Duration Contract Disclosures ASU 2015-09, “Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts” (Topic 944), requires insurers to make disclosures about their liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses for short-duration insurance contracts. These disclosures include tables showing incurred and paid claims development information (net of reinsurance and excluding unallocated loss adjustment expenses) which are disaggregated based on the characteristics of the insurance contracts that the insurer writes and other factors specific to the reporting entity. The information should be disclosed by accident year for the number of years claims typically remain outstanding, but need not be more than 10 years, including a reconciliation of the disaggregated information to the consolidated statement of financial position. The basis for our disaggregation of this information is by each of our three reportable segments. See Note 10, “Segment Information,” for additional information regarding our three reportable segments.  Reserves for Incurred But Not Reported (“IBNR”) Claims Reserves for IBNR claims are based on the estimated ultimate cost of settling claims, including the effects of inflation and other social and economic factors, using past experience adjusted for current trends and any other factors that would modify past experience. We use a variety of statistical and actuarial techniques to analyze current claims costs, including frequency and severity data and prevailing economic, social and legal factors. Each such method has its own set of assumptions and outputs, and each has strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Since no single estimation method is superior to another method in all situations, the methods and assumptions used to project loss reserves will vary by coverage and product. We use what we believe to be the most appropriate set of actuarial methods and assumptions for each product line grouping and coverage. While the loss projection methods may vary by product line and coverage, the general approach for calculating IBNR remains the same: ultimate losses are forecasted first, and that amount is reduced by the amount of cumulative paid claims and case reserves. Reserves established in prior years are adjusted as loss experience develops and new information becomes available. Adjustments to previously estimated reserves are reflected in the results of operations in the year in which they are made. As described above, various actuarial methods are utilized to determine the reserves for losses and LAE recorded in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Weightings of methods at a detailed level may change from evaluation to evaluation based on a number of observations, measures, and time elements. There were no significant changes to the methods and assumptions underlying our consolidated reserve estimations and selections as of December 31, 2016.  Methodology for Determining Cumulative Number of Reported Claims A claim file is created when the Company is notified of an actual demand for payment, notified of an event that may lead to a demand for payment or when it is determined that a demand for payment could possibly lead to a future demand for payment on another coverage on the same policy or on another policy. The cumulative number of reported claims is predominately measured at a coverage level by occurrence, with the exception of our Specialty Commercial operating unit which is predominately measured at the claim level. Reported occurrences that do not result in a liability are included in reported claims. The Company does not generate claim counts for ceded business.     Incurred & Paid Claims Development Disclosures  The following tables provide information about incurred and cumulative paid losses and allocated loss adjustment expenses (“ALAE”), net of reinsurance for our three reportable segments, our Specialty Commercial Segment, our Standard Commercial Segment and our Personal Segment. The incurred and paid losses by accident year information presented for all segments in the below tables for calendar years prior to 2016 is required supplementary information and is unaudited. The following tables also include IBNR reserves plus expected development on reported claims and the cumulative number of reported claims as of December 31, 2016 ($ in thousands):  Specialty Commercial Segment     Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 51,458 $ 52,141 $ 51,813 $ 52,673 $ 50,158 $ 49,654 $ 49,096 $ 49,056 $ 49,290 $ 49,544 $ 68 6,095  2008 55,617 56,150 58,143 57,923 56,579 55,157 55,425 55,457 55,864 (102) 7,367  2009 60,950 62,679 61,196 59,471 59,831 59,635 59,988 61,361 87 5,456  2010 74,187 78,089 75,695 77,593 78,003 77,972 77,631 1,227 4,999  2011 88,679 87,558 91,059 90,713 89,737 87,793 1,641 5,782  2012 106,371 111,253 111,841 115,709 116,320 2,020 7,337  2013 140,546 135,114 137,230 143,983 2,127 9,188  2014 144,996 133,464 138,842 6,547 10,049  2015 147,304 146,610 23,447 10,707  2016 151,494 52,283 10,424  Total $ 1,029,442                      Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ 18,851 $ 33,504 $ 41,344 $ 44,861 $ 47,453 $ 48,612 $ 48,612 $ 48,783 $ 48,860 $ 49,025  2008 24,134 37,803 44,903 51,280 53,723 53,577 54,080 54,909 55,372  2009 21,259 34,411 45,757 53,135 56,791 57,641 59,149 60,785  2010 24,818 45,234 58,139 68,625 73,398 74,513 75,787  2011 27,454 53,509 71,697 80,004 83,787 84,936  2012 37,655 60,923 82,066 97,680 109,060  2013 40,475 76,366 101,725 126,025  2014 42,097 73,631 99,521  2015 39,515 74,906  2016 41,397  Total $ 776,814  All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance (26)  Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 252,602        (1                  S tandard Commercial Segment     Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 48,423 $ 45,280 $ 42,632 $ 42,898 $ 41,814 $ 39,476 $ 37,894 $ 36,798 $ 37,321 $ 36,419 $ 576 3,156  2008 49,452 47,557 46,762 45,556 42,758 41,597 40,387 40,001 39,195 1,826 3,246  2009 44,719 45,674 46,772 46,778 45,970 44,159 43,851 43,107 2,102 2,632  2010 45,263 45,235 44,847 43,164 43,459 42,426 42,175 2,252 2,903  2011 60,236 56,489 55,156 49,268 47,266 47,423 3,387 4,364  2012 51,998 52,554 48,222 45,990 44,272 5,144 3,212  2013 55,482 57,528 56,703 53,174 6,379 3,910  2014 55,488 55,808 53,568 8,979 3,531  2015 49,571 49,857 11,946 3,129  2016 46,880 16,885 2,554  Total $ 456,070       Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ 13,883 $ 20,362 $ 25,484 $ 28,908 $ 31,311 $ 32,288 $ 32,949 $ 33,561 $ 33,982 $ 34,483  2008 17,182 25,624 29,058 32,523 34,056 34,762 35,360 36,276 36,859  2009 15,242 28,313 32,075 35,818 38,316 40,389 40,575 40,629  2010 21,302 28,342 30,957 33,428 37,166 39,115 39,706  2011 24,899 35,119 38,909 40,301 41,140 42,441  2012 23,445 32,203 34,789 37,191 38,526  2013 23,123 36,411 41,809 44,475  2014 24,255 37,122 41,514  2015 19,085 34,245  2016 21,508  Total $ 374,386  All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance 538  Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 82,222       Personal Segment    Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 28,774 $ 31,603 $ 31,252 $ 31,485 $ 31,651 $ 31,931 $ 32,272 $ 32,517 $ 32,528 $ 32,528 $ - 15,814  2008 36,247 36,976 38,329 39,412 39,793 40,170 40,239 40,324 40,369 - 17,353  2009 40,436 42,092 46,244 47,977 48,930 49,694 49,772 49,891 - 21,052  2010 63,862 78,294 80,765 84,724 83,903 84,252 84,591 6 30,179  2011 75,746 77,652 87,810 86,757 86,804 86,948 (28) 31,612  2012 58,604 73,795 70,552 71,513 72,042 50 23,937  2013 55,706 59,132 60,100 60,211 234 23,461  2014 5,452 5,340 6,243 406 19,275  2015 23,104 25,682 1,813 23,234  2016 32,260 6,638 21,134  Total $ 490,765      Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ $ 18,106 $ 27,757 $ 30,043 $ 30,975 $ 31,355 $ 31,523 $ 32,056 $ 31,213 $ 32,531 $ 32,530  2008 20,005 32,555 36,782 38,925 39,511 40,210 40,309 40,323 40,347  2009 23,306 37,621 44,689 47,967 49,287 49,539 49,704 49,853  2010 38,643 67,755 75,199 82,624 83,511 84,111 84,556  2011 46,416 67,939 83,497 85,533 86,217 86,593  2012 37,860 64,278 68,849 70,807 71,995  2013 45,901 54,514 58,047 59,775  2014 2,515 4,418 5,631  2015 11,570 22,281  2016 21,669  Total $ 475,230   All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance 9   Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 15,544     The reconciliation of the net incurred and paid development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in our Consolidated Balance Sheets is as follows (in thousands):     2016   Net outstanding liabilities for losses and LAE   Specialty Commercial Segment $ 252,602  Standard Commercial Segment 82,222  Personal Segment 15,544  Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance 350,368   Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and LAE  Specialty Commercial Segment 102,597  Standard Commercial Segment 8,540  Personal Segment 12,100  Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and LAE 123,237   Unallocated loss adjustment expenses  Specialty Commercial Segment 3,831  Standard Commercial Segment 3,031  Personal Segment 1,100  Total unallocated loss adjustment expenses 7,962   Total reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses $ 481,567   C laims Duration  The following table provides supplementary unaudited information about the annual percentage payout of incurred losses and ALAE, net of reinsurance, as of December 31, 2016:                  Average Annual Percentage Payout of Incurred Claims by Age, Net of Reinsurance (1)  Unaudited  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10  Specialty Commercial Segment 32.4% 24.8% 17.4% 12.0% 6.0% 1.2% 1.2% 1.5% 0.5% -0.3%  Standard Commercial Segment 44.6% 23.0% 8.7% 6.6% 5.0% 3.3% 1.3% 1.4% 1.3% -1.4%  Personal Segment 51.5% 29.2% 10.9% 4.3% 1.4% 0.8% 0.7% -0.7% 1.9% 0.0%      (   (1) The average annual percentage payout is calculated from a paid losses and ALAE development pattern based on an actuarial analysis of the paid losses and ALAE movements by accident year for each disaggregation category. The paid losses and AL A E development pattern provides the expected percentage of ultimate losses and ALAE to be paid in each year. The pattern considers all accident years included in the claims development tables .

Reinsurance

Reinsurance	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Reinsurance [Abstract]
Reinsurance	   7. Reinsurance :  We reinsure a portion of the risk we underwrite in order to control the exposure to losses and to protect capital resources. We cede to reinsurers a portion of these risks and pay premiums based upon the risk and exposure of the policies subject to such reinsurance. Ceded reinsurance involves credit risk and is generally subject to aggregate loss limits. Although the reinsurer is liable to us to the extent of the reinsurance ceded, we are ultimately liable as the direct insurer on all risks reinsured. Reinsurance recoverables are reported after allowances for uncollectible amounts. We monitor the financial condition of reinsurers on an ongoing basis and review our reinsurance arrangements periodically. Reinsurers are selected based on their financial condition, business practices and the price of their product offerings. In order to mitigate credit risk to reinsurance companies, most of our reinsurance recoverable balance as of December 31, 2016 was with reinsurers that had an A.M. Best rating of “A–” or better. We also mitigate our credit risk for the remaining reinsurance recoverable by obtaining letters of credit.  The following table presents our gross and net premiums written and earned and reinsurance recoveries for each of the last three years (in thousands):  Included in reinsurance recoverable on the consolidated balance sheets are paid loss recoverables of $ XX million and $ 17.0 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.    2016 2015 2014  Premium Written :  Direct $ 549,077 $ 514,223 $ 473,233  Assumed - - (15)  Ceded (187,248) (157,279) (148,866)  $ 361,829 $ 356,944 $ 324,352   Premium Earned:  Direct $ 524,229 $ 494,643 $ 461,367  Assumed - - 327  Ceded (170,859) (145,562) (140,477)  $ 353,370 $ 349,081 $ 321,217   Reinsurance recoveries $ 116,057 $ 89,892 $ 99,911  Included in reinsurance recoverable on the consolidated balance sheets are paid loss recoverables of $ 24.4 million and $11.1 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.    

Revolving Credit Facility and N

Revolving Credit Facility and Notes Payable	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Revolving Credit Facility and Notes Payable [Abstract]
Revolving Credit Facility and Notes Payable	    8. Revolving Credit Facility and Notes Payable :  Our Second Restated Credit Agreement with Frost Bank (“Frost”) dated June 30, 2015, reinstated the credit facility with Frost which expired by its terms on April 30, 2015. The Second Restated Credit Agreement also amended certain provisions of the credit facility and restated the agreement with Frost in its entirety. The Second Restated Credit Agreement provides a $15.0 million revolving credit facility (“Facility A”), with a $5.0 million letter of credit sub-facility. The outstanding balance of the Facility A bears interest at a rate equal to the prime rate or LIBOR plus 2.5% , at our election. We pay an annual fee of 0.25% of the average daily unused balance of Facility A and letter of credit fees at the rate of 1.00% per annum. As of December 31, 2016, we had no outstanding borrowings under Facility A. On December 17, 2015, we entered into a First Amendment to Second Restated Credit Agreement and a Revolving Facility B Agreement (the “Facility B Agreement”) with Frost to provide a new $30.0 million revolving credit facility (“Facility B”), in addition to Facility A. On November 1, 2016, we amended the Facility B Agreement with Frost to extend by one year the termination date for draws under Facility B and the maturity date for amounts outstanding thereunder. We paid Frost a commitment fee of $75,000 when Facility B was established and an additional $30,000 fee when Facility B was extended.  We may use Facility B loan proceeds solely for the purpose of making capital contributions to AHIC and HIC. As amended, we may borrow, repay and reborrow under Facility B until December 17, 2018 , at which time all amounts outstanding under Facility B are converted to a term loan. Through December 17, 2018, we pay Frost a quarterly fee of 0.25% per annum of the average daily unused balance of Facility B. Facility B bears interest at a rate equal to the prime rate or LIBOR plus 3.00% , at our election. Until December 17, 2018, interest only on amounts from time to time outstanding under Facility B are payable quarterly. Any amounts outstanding on Facility B as of December 17, 2018 are converted to a term loan payable in quarterly installments over five years based on a seven year amortization of principal plus accrued interest. All remaining principal and accrued interest on Facility B become due and payable on December 17, 2023. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively , we had $30.0 million outstanding under Facility B. The obligations under both Facility A and Facility B are secured by a security interest in the capital stock of AHIC and HIC. Both Facility A and Facility B contain covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain certain financial and operating ratios and restrict certain distributions, transactions and organizational changes. As of December 31, 2016, we were in compliance with all of these covenants. 

Subordinated Debt Securities

Subordinated Debt Securities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Subordinated Debt Securities [Abstract]
Subordinated Debt Securities	   9. Subordinated Debt Securities :  On June 21, 2005, we entered into a trust preferred securities transaction pursuant to which we issued $30.9 million aggregate principal amount of subordinated debt securities due in 2035 . To effect the transaction, we formed Trust I as a Delaware statutory trust. Trust I issued $30.0 million of preferred securities to investors and $0.9 million of common securities to us. Trust I used the proceeds from these issuances to purchase the subordinated debt securities. The initial interest rate on our Trust I subordinated debt securities was 7.725% until June 15, 2015 , after which interest adjusts quarterly to the three-month LIBOR rate plus 3.25 percentage points . Trust I pays dividends on its preferred securities at the same rate. Under the terms of our Trust I subordinated debt securities, we pay interest only each quarter and the principal of the note at maturity. The subordinated debt securities are uncollaterized and do not require maintenance of minimum financial covenants. As of December 31, 2016, the principal balance of our Trust I subordinated debt was $30.9 million and the interest rate was 4.21% per annum.  On August 23, 2007, we entered into a trust preferred securities transaction pursuant to which we issued $25.8 million aggregate principal amount of subordinated debt securities due in 2037 . To effect the transaction, we formed Trust II as a Delaware statutory trust. Trust II issued $25.0 million of preferred securities to investors and $0.8 million of common securities to us. Trust II used the proceeds from these issuances to purchase the subordinated debt securities. Our Trust II subordinated debt securities bear an initial interest rate of 8.28% until September 15, 2017 , at which time interest will adjust quarterly to the three-month LIBOR rate plus 2.90 percentage points . Trust II pays dividends on its preferred securities at the same rate. Under the terms of our Trust II subordinated debt securities, we pay interest only each quarter and the principal of the note at maturity. The subordinated debt securities are uncollaterized and do not require maintenance of minimum financial covenants. As of December 31, 2016, the principal balance of our Trust II subordinated debt was $25.8 million.

Segment Information

Segment Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Information [Abstract]
Segment Information	   10. Segment Information :  We pursue our business activities primarily through subsidiaries whose operations are organized into producing units and are supported by our insurance carrier subsidiaries. Our non-carrier insurance activities are organized by operating units into the following reportable segments:    Specialty Commercial Segment. Our Specialty Commercial Segment includes the excess and surplus lines commercial property/casualty insurance products and services handled by our MGA Commercial Products operating unit and the general aviation, satellite launch, commercial umbrella and primary/excess liability, medical professional liability and primary/excess commercial property insurance products and services handled by our Specialty Commercial operating unit . Certain specialty programs are also managed by our Specialty Commercial operating unit . Our MGA Commercial Products operating unit is comprised of our HSU, PAAC and TGASRI subsidiaries. Our Specialty Commercial operating unit is comprised of our Aerospace Insurance Managers, ASRI, ACMG, HXS and HDS subsidiaries.    Standard Commercial Segment. The Standard Commercial Segment includes the standard lines commercial property/casualty and occupational accident insurance products and services handled by our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and the workers compensation insurance products handled by our Workers Compensation operating unit. Effective June 1, 2016, we no longer market new or renewal occupational accident policies. Effective July 1, 2015, the Workers Compensation operating unit no longer retains any risk on new or renewal policies. Our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit is comprised of our American Hallmark Insurance Services and ECM subsidiaries. Our Workers Compensation operating unit is comprised of our TBIC Holdings, TBIC and TBICRM subsidiaries.   Personal Segment. Our Personal Segment includes the non-standard personal automobile and renters insurance products and services handled by our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit. During the fourth quarter of 2014, our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit discontinued the low value dwelling/homeowners and manufactured homes insurance products it previously offered. Our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit is comprised of AHGA and HCS.  The retained premium produced by these reportable segments is supported by our AHIC, HSIC, HIC, HNIC and TBIC insurance company subsidiaries. In addition, control and management of HCM is maintained through our wholly owned subsidiary, CYR Insurance Management Company (“CYR”). CYR has as its primary asset a management agreement with HCM which provides for CYR to have management and control of HCM. HCM is used to front certain lines of business in our Specialty Commercial and Personal Segments in Texas. HCM does not retain any business.   AHIC, HIC, HSIC and HNIC have entered into a pooling arrangement, pursuant to which AHIC retains 34% of the net premiums written by any of them, HIC retains 32% of the net premiums written by any of them, HSIC retains 24% of the net premiums written by any of them and HNIC retains 10% of the net premiums written by any of them. Neither HCM nor TBIC is a party to the intercompany pooling arrangement.                                   The following is additional business segment information for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):        2016 2015 2014  Revenues  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 255,897 $ 249,910 $ 241,920  Standard Commercial Segment 71,966 76,864 81,464  Personal Segment 49,826 45,538 20,404  Corporate (1,737) 90 (6,422)  Consolidated $ 375,952 $ 372,402 $ 337,366    Depreciation and Amortization Expense  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 2,579 $ 2,537 $ 2,503  Standard Commercial Segment 101 136 183  Personal Segment 1,070 779 515  Corporate 144 64 23  Consolidated $ 3,894 $ 3,516 $ 3,224    Interest Expense  Specialty Commercial Segment $ - $ - $ -  Standard Commercial Segment - - -  Personal Segment - - -  Corporate 4,549 3,906 4,576  Consolidated $ 4,549 $ 3,906 $ 4,576    Tax Expense (Benefit)  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 7,886 $ 11,609 $ 9,690  Standard Commercial Segment 3,011 1,436 622  Personal Segment (3,821) (1,345) (574)  Corporate (5,124) (1,677) (4,385)  Consolidated $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353    Pre-tax Income (Loss)  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 24,417 $ 40,277 $ 34,237  Standard Commercial Segment 8,866 6,687 4,595  Personal Segment (6,839) (885) 1,226  Corporate (17,966) (14,193) (21,276)  Consolidated $ 8,478 $ 31,886 $ 18,782      The following is additional business segment information as of the following dates (in thousands):      December 31  2016 2015  Assets  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 734,763 $ 660,263  Standard Commercial Segment 164,295 156,722  Personal Segment 241,686 239,632  Corporate 21,716 18,930  Consolidated $ 1,162,460 $ 1,075,547 

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	   11. Earnings Per Share :  We have adopted the provisions of ASC 260, “Earnings Per Share,” requiring presentation of both basic and diluted earnings per share. A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per share calculations is presented below (in thousands, except per share amounts):      2016 2015 2014  Numerator for both basic and diluted earnings per share:  Net income $ 6,526 $ 21,863 $ 13,429   Denominator, basic shares 18,780 19,211 19,197  Effect of dilutive securities:  Stock-based compensation awards 161 194 169  Denominator, diluted shares 18,941 19,405 19,366   Basic earnings per share: $ 0.35 $ 1.14 $ 0.70   Diluted earnings per share: $ 0.34 $ 1.13 $ 0.69  We had 272,500 shares, 267,500 shares and 544,999 shares of common stock potentially issuable upon exercise of employee stock options for years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, that were excluded from the weighted average number of shares outstanding on a diluted basis because the effect of such options would be anti-dilutive. These instruments expire at varying times from 2017 to 2021.

Regulatory Capital Restrictions

Regulatory Capital Restrictions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Abstract]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions	 12. Regulatory Capital Restrictions :  Hallmark, as a holding company, is dependent on dividend payments and management fees from its subsidiaries to fund its operating expenses, debt obligations and capital needs, including the ability to pay dividends to its stockholders. Hallmark has never paid dividends on its common stock. Hallmark intends to continue this policy for the foreseeable future in order to retain earnings for development of its business. There are no regulatory or contractual restrictions on the ability of Hallmark to pay dividends other than customary default provisions and the impact of any dividend payment on financial ratio covenants in certain credit agreements. However, there are restrictions on the ability of Hallmark’s insurance carrier subsidiaries to transfer funds to the holding company. The amount of retained earnings that is unrestricted for the payment of dividends by Hallmark to its shareholders was $68.4 million as of December 31, 2016.  AHIC and TBIC, domiciled in Texas, are limited in the payment of dividends to their stockholders in any 12-month period, without the prior written consent of the Texas Department of Insurance, to the greater of statutory net income for the prior calendar year or 10% of statutory policyholders’ surplus as of the prior year end . HIC and HNIC, both domiciled in Arizona, are limited in the payment of dividends to the lesser of 10% of prior year policyholders’ surplus or prior year’s net investment income , without prior written approval from the Arizona Department of Insurance. HSIC, domiciled in Oklahoma, is limited in the payment of dividends to the greater of 10% of prior year policyholders’ surplus or prior year’s statutory net income, not including realized capital gains , without prior written approval from the Oklahoma Insurance Department. For all our insurance companies, dividends may only be paid from unassigned surplus funds. During 2017, the aggregate ordinary dividend capacity of these subsidiaries is $28.0 million, of which $19.4 million is available to Hallmark. As a county mutual, dividends from HCM are payable to policyholders. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 our insurance company subsidiaries paid $10.5 million and $8.0 million, respectively, in dividends to Hallmark. The total restricted net assets of our insurance company subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016, was $197.3 million.  The state insurance departments also regulate financial transactions between our insurance subsidiaries and their affiliated companies. Applicable regulations require approval of management fees, expense sharing contracts and similar transactions. The net amount paid in management fees by our insurance subsidiaries to Hallmark and our non-insurance company subsidiaries was $1.1 million, $1.3 million and $1.1 million during each of 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  Statutory capital and surplus is calculated as statutory assets less statutory liabilities. The various state insurance departments that regulate our insurance company subsidiaries require us to maintain a minimum statutory capital and surplus. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, our insurance company subsidiaries reported statutory capital and surplus of $248.4 million and $247.2 million, respectively, substantially greater than the minimum requirements for each state. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, respectively, our insurance company subsidiaries reported statutory net income of $8.7 million, $24.6 million and $22.3 million, respectively.  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners requires property/casualty insurers to file a risk-based capital calculation according to a specified formula. The purpose of the formula is twofold: (1) to assess the adequacy of an insurer’s statutory capital and surplus based upon a variety of factors such as potential risks related to investment portfolio, ceded reinsurance and product mix; and (2) to assist state regulators under the RBC for Insurers Model Act by providing thresholds at which a state commissioner is authorized and expected to take regulatory action. As of December 31, 2016, the adjusted capital under the risk-based capital calculation of each of our insurance company subsidiaries substantially exceeded the minimum requirements.

Share-based Payment Arrangement

Share-based Payment Arrangements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Payment Arrangements [Abstract]
Share-based Payment Arrangements	 13. Share-based Payment Arrangements :  Our 2005 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2005 LTIP”) is a stock compensation plan for key employees and non-employee directors that was initially approved by the shareholders on May 26, 2005 and expired by its terms on May 27, 2015. As of December 31, 2016, there were outstanding incentive stock options to purchase 335,074 shares of our common stock, non-qualified stock options to purchase 289,157 shares of our common stock and restricted stock units representing the right to receive up to 151,901 shares of our common stock. The exercise price of all such outstanding stock options is equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant.  Our 2015 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2015 LTIP”) was approved by shareholders on May 29, 2015. There are 2,000,000 shares authorized for issuance under the 2015 LTIP. As of December 31, 2016, restricted stock units representing the right to receive up to 292,961 shares of our common stock were outstanding under the 2015 LTIP. There were no stock option awards granted under the 2015 LTIP as of December 31, 2016.  Stock Options: Incentive stock options granted under the 2005 LTIP prior to 2009 vest 10% , 20% , 30% and 40% on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary dates of the grant, respectively, and terminate five to ten years from the date of grant. Incentive stock options granted in 2009 vest in equal annual increments on each of the first seven anniversary dates and terminate ten years from the date of grant. One grant of 25,000 incentive stock options in 2010 vests in equal annual increments on each of the first three anniversary dates and terminates ten years from the date of grant. Non-qualified stock options granted under the 2005 LTIP generally vest 100% six months after the date of grant and terminate ten years from the date of grant. One grant of 200,000 non-qualified stock options in 2009 vests in equal annual increments on each of the first seven anniversary dates and terminates ten years from the date of grant.  A summary of the status of our stock options as of December 31, 2016 and changes during the year then ended is presented below:       Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Instrinsic Value ($000)  Outstanding at January 1, 2016 869,113 $ 9.51  Granted -  Exercised (70,000) $ 6.66  Forfeited or expired (174,882) $ 11.96  Outstanding at December 31, 2016 624,231 $ 9.14 1.7 $ 1,714  Exercisable at December 31, 2016 624,231 $ 9.14 1.7 $ 1,714    The following table details the intrinsic value of options exercised, total cost of share-based payments charged against income before income tax benefit and the amount of related income tax benefit recognized in income for the periods indicated (in thousands):     2016 2015 2014  Intrinsic value of options exercised $ 250 $ 393 $ 412  Cost of share-based payments (non-cash) $ 38 $ 157 $ 173  Income tax benefit of share-based payments recognized in income $ 8 $ 30 $ 30   As of December 31, 2016, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted under our plans which is expected to be recognized in the future. The fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility of Hallmark’s and similar companies’ common stock for a period equal to the expected term. The risk-free interest rates for periods within the contractual term of the options are based on rates for U.S. Treasury Notes with maturity dates corresponding to the options’ expected lives on the dates of grant. Expected term is determined based on the simplified method as we do not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a basis for estimating the expected term. There were no stock options granted in 2016, 2015 or 2014. Restricted Stock Units: The 2005 LTIP was amended by the stockholders on May 30, 2013 to authorize the grant of restricted stock units, in addition to the other types of awards available thereunder. Restricted stock units awarded under the 2005 LTIP represent the right to receive shares of common stock upon the satisfaction of vesting requirements, performance criteria and other terms and conditions. On July 27, 2012 and April 10, 2013, an aggregate of 129,463 and 122,823 restricted stock units, respectively, were conditionally granted to certain of our employees subject to shareholder approval of the amendments to the 2005 LTIP at the May 30, 2013 shareholder meeting. One conditional grant of 9,280 restricted stock units was forfeited prior to approval at the shareholder meeting. Subsequently on September 8, 2014, an aggregate of 175,983 restricted stock units were granted to certain employees under the 2005 LTIP. On May 29, 2015, an aggregate of 103,351 restricted stock units were granted to certain employees under the 2015 LTIP. Subsequently on July 22, 2016, an aggregate of 122,770 restricted stock units were granted to certain employees under the 2015 LTIP. The performance criteria for all restricted stock units require that we achieve certain compound average annual growth rates in book value per share over the vesting period in order to receive shares of common stock in amounts ranging from 50% to 150% of the number of restricted stock units granted. In addition, certain restricted stock unit grants contain an additional performance criteria related to the attainment of an average combined ratio percentage over the vesting period. Grantees of restricted stock units do not have any rights of a stockholder, and do not participate in any distributions to our common stockholders, until the award fully vests upon satisfaction of the vesting schedule, performance criteria and other conditions set forth in their award agreement. Therefore, unvested restricted stock units are not considered participating securities under ASC 260, “Earnings Per Share,” and are not included in the calculation of basic or diluted earnings per share. On April 1, 2015, 8,616 shares of common stock were issued with respect to 8,616 restricted stock units which were granted on July 27, 2012 and vested on March 31, 2015. On April 1, 2016, 7,144 shares of common stock were issued with respect to 7,144 restricted stock units which were granted on April 10, 2013 and vested on March 31, 2016. If and to the extent specified performance criteria have been achieved, the restricted stock units granted on September 8, 2014 (except for one grant) will vest on March 31, 2017, one grant of restricted stock units granted on September 8, 2014 will vest on March 31, 2018, the restricted stock units granted on May 29, 2015 will vest on March 31, 2018 and the restricted stock units granted on July 22, 2016 will vest on March 31, 2019. Compensation cost is measured as an amount equal to the fair value of the restricted stock units on the date of grant and is expensed over the vesting period if achievement of the performance criteria is deemed probable, with the amount of the expense recognized based on our best estimate of the ultimate achievement level. The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units granted in 2012 and 2013 is $9.20 per unit. The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units granted in 2014 is $9.66 per unit. The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units granted in 2015 is $11.10 per unit. The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units granted in 2016 is $11.41 per unit. We incurred compensation (benefit) expense of ( $156 ) thousand, $226 thousand and $49 thousand related to restricted stock units during the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We recorded income tax (expense) benefit of ( $55 ) thousand, $79 thousand and $17 thousand related to restricted stock units during the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.    A summary of the status of our restricted stock units as of December 31, 2016 and changes during the year then ended is presented below:     Number of Restricted Stock Units  Nonvested at January 1, 2016 296,571  Granted 122,770  Vested (7,144)  Forfeited (115,623)  Nonvested at December 31, 2016 296,574  As of December 31, 2016, there was $141 thousand of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock units granted under our 2005 LTIP and 2015 LTIP, of which $80 thousand is expected to be recognized in 2017, $50 thousand is expected to be recognized in 2018 and $11 thousand is expected to be recognized in 2019.

Retirement Plans

Retirement Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
Retirement Plans	  14. Retirement Plans :  Certain employees of the Standard Commercial Segment were participants in a defined cash balance plan covering all full-time employees who had completed at least 1,000 hours of service. This plan was frozen in March 2001 in anticipation of distribution of plan assets to members upon plan termination. All participants were vested when the plan was frozen.  The following tables provide detail of the changes in benefit obligations, components of benefit costs, weighted-average assumptions, and plan assets for the retirement plan as of and for the twelve months ending December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands) using a measurement date of December 31.                              2016 2015 2014  Assumptions (end of period):  Discount rate used in determining benefit obligation 3.88% 4.12% 3.86%  Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A   Reconciliation of funded status (end of period):  Accumulated benefit obligation $ (12,618) $ (12,915) $ (13,909)   Projected benefit obligation $ (12,618) $ (12,915) $ (13,909)  Fair value of plan assets 10,415 10,419 11,290  Funded status $ (2,203) $ (2,496) $ (2,619)   Net actuarial loss (4,102) (3,957) (4,000)  Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,102) (3,957) (4,000)  Prepaid pension cost 1,899 1,461 1,381  Net amount recognized as of December 31 $ (2,203) $ (2,496) $ (2,619)   Changes in projected benefit obligation:  Benefit obligation as of beginning of period $ 12,915 $ 13,909 $ 12,284  Interest cost 512 518 532  Actuarial liability loss/(gain) 19 (646) 1,947  Benefits paid (828) (866) (854)  Benefit obligation as of end of period $ 12,618 $ 12,915 $ 13,909   Change in plan assets:  Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of period $ 10,419 $ 11,290 $ 10,851  Actual return on plan assets (net of expenses) 415 (5) 760  Employer contributions 409 - 533  Benefits paid (828) (866) (854)  Fair value of plan assets as of end of period $ 10,415 $ 10,419 $ 11,290   Net periodic pension cost:  Service cost - benefits earned during the period $ - $ - $ -  Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 512 518 532  Expected return on plan assets (653) (701) (698)  Recognized actuarial loss 112 103 162  Net periodic pension cost $ (29) $ (80) $ (4)   Discount rate 4.12% 3.86% 4.49%  Expected return on plan assets 6.50% 6.50% 6.50%  Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A     Estimated future benefit payments by fiscal year (in thousands):      2017 $ 884  2018 $ 883  2019 $ 875  2020 $ 862  2021 $ 863  2022-2026 $ 4,071  As of December 31, 2016, the fair value of the plan assets was composed of cash and cash equivalents of $0.3 million, debt securities of $3.4 million and equity securities of $6.7 million.  Our investment objectives are to preserve capital and to achieve long-term growth through a favorable rate of return equal to or greater than 5% over the long-term ( 60 year) average inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index. The objective of the equity portion of the portfolio is to achieve a return in excess of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. The objective of the fixed income portion of the portfolio is to add stability, consistency, safety and total return to the total fund portfolio.  We prohibit investments in options, futures, precious metals, short sales and purchase on margin. We also restrict the investment in fixed income securities to “A” rated or better by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s rating services and restrict investments in common stocks to only those that are listed and actively traded on one or more of the major United States stock exchanges, including NASDAQ. We manage to an asset allocation of 45% to 75% in equity securities. An investment in any single stock issue is restricted to 5% of the total portfolio value and 90% of the securities held in mutual or commingled funds must meet the criteria for common stocks.  To develop the expected long-term rate of return on assets assumption, we consider the historical returns and the future expectations for returns for each asset class, as well as the target asset allocation of the pension portfolio. This resulted in the selection of the 6.5% long-term rate of return on assets assumption. The expected return on plan assets uses the fair market value as of December 31, 2016. To develop the discount rate used in determining the benefit obligation we used the BPS&M AA Pension Discount Curve at the measurement date to match the timing and amounts of projected future benefits. A corridor approach is used to amortize actuarial gains and losses. We are applying the 10% threshold set forth in ASC 715. In addition, since all accrued benefits under the plan are frozen, we are amortizing the unrecognized gains and losses outside of the corridor by the average life expectancy of the plan participants.  We expect that we will not be required to make a contribution to the defined benefit cash balance plan during 2017. We expect our 201 7 periodic pension cost to be $(63) thousand, the components of which are interest cost of $444 thousand, expected return on plan assets of ($649) thousand and amortization of actuarial loss of $142 thousand.                The following table shows the weighted-average asset allocation for the defined benefit cash balance plan held as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.     December 31  2016 2015  Asset Category:  Debt securities 33% 33%  Equity securities 64% 64%  Other 3% 3%  Total 100% 100%  We determine the fair value of our financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy established in ASC 820. (See Note 3.)  The following table presents, for each of the fair value hierarchy levels, our plan assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands).      As of December 31, 2016  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  Debt securities $ - $ 3,438 $ - $ 3,438  Equity securities 6,653 - - 6,653  Total $ 6,653 $ 3,438 $ - $ 10,091      As of December 31, 2015  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  Debt securities $ - $ 3,423 $ - $ 3,423  Equity securities 6,697 - - 6,697  Total $ 6,697 $ 3,423 $ - $ 10,120  Our plan assets also include cash and cash equivalents of $0.3 million and $0.3 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and are carried at cost which approximates fair value.  We sponsor a defined contribution plan. Under this plan, employees may contribute a portion of their compensation on a tax-deferred basis, and we may contribute a discretionary amount each year. We contributed $0.4 million, $0.3 million and $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively  

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	 15. Income Taxes : The composition of deferred tax assets and liabilities and the related tax effects as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, are as follows (in thousands):      2016 2015  Deferred tax liabilities:  Deferred policy acquisition costs $ (6,717) $ (7,128)  Net unrealized holding gain on investments (7,395) (5,339)  Agency relationship (56) (66)  Intangible assets (4,623) (5,118)  Goodwill (559) (519)  Fixed assets (1,106) (861)  Other (435) (367)  Total deferred tax liabilities (20,891) (19,398)   Deferred tax assets:  Unearned premiums 11,184 10,592  Amortization of non-compete agreements 238 298  Pension liability 1,436 1,385  Net operating loss carry-forward 319 426  Unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense 6,208 6,920  Rent reserve 247 297  Bond amortization 434 421  Bonus accrual 291 759  Investment impairments 1,419 1,120  Other 480 540  Total deferred tax assets 22,256 22,758   Deferred federal income taxes, net $ 1,365 $ 3,360  We concluded that no valuation allowance was necessary to provide against our deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2016.                     A reconciliation of the income tax provisions based on the 35% statutory tax rate to the provision reflected in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, is as follows (in thousands):      2016 2015 2014  Computed expected income tax expense at statutory regulatory tax rate $ 2,967 $ 11,160 $ 6,574  Meals and entertainment 81 32 27  Tax exempt interest (1,164) (1,259) (1,276)  Dividends received deduction (133) (141) (107)  State taxes (net of federal benefit) 203 176 259  Other (2) 55 (124)  Income tax expense $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353   Current income tax expense $ 1,547 $ 11,053 $ 5,746  Deferred tax expense (benefit) 405 (1,030) (393)  Income tax expense $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353  We have available, for federal income tax purposes, unused net operating loss of $0.9 million at December 31, 2016. The losses were acquired as part of the HIC and HCM acquisitions and may be used to offset future taxable income. Utilization of the losses is limited under Internal Revenue Code Section 382. The Internal Revenue Code provides that effective with tax years beginning September 1997, the carry-back and carry-forward periods are 2 years and 20 years, respectively, with respect to newly generated operating losses. The net operating losses will expire if unused, as follows (in thousands):      Year  2022 $ 553  2028 2  2029 25  2031 45  2032 77  2033 73  2034 59  2035 33  2036 44  $ 911  We are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2013. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. There were no uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2016.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	 16. Commitments and Contingencies :  We have several leases, primarily for office facilities and computer equipment, which expire in various years through 2022. Certain of these leases contain renewal options. Rental expense amounted to $2.5 million, $2.2 million and $2.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.  Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2016 are as follows (in thousands):     Year  2017 $ 2,281  2018 1,948  2019 1,874  2020 1,841  2021 994  2022 and thereafter 341  Total minimum lease payments (a) $ 9,279   (a) Minimum lease payments have not been reduced by minimum sublease rentals of $0.5 million due in the future under noncancelable subleases.  From time to time, assessments are levied on us by the guaranty association of the states where we offer our insurance products. Such assessments are made primarily to cover the losses of policyholders of insolvent or rehabilitated insurers. Since these assessments can generally be recovered through a reduction in future premium taxes paid, we capitalize the assessments that can be recovered as they are paid and amortize the capitalized balance against our premium tax expense. We paid an assessment of $0.1 million in 2016. There were no assessments during 2015.  In November 2015, one of the subsidiaries in our MGA Commercial operating unit, Hallmark Specialty Underwriters, Inc. (“HSU”), was informed by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts that a surplus lines tax audit covering the period January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2013 was complete. HSU frequently acts as a managing general underwriter (“MGU”) authorized to underwrite policies on behalf of Republic Vanguard Insurance Company and HSIC, both Texas eligible surplus lines insurance carriers. In its role as the MGU, HSU underwrites policies on behalf of these carriers while other agencies located in Texas (generally referred to as “producing agents”) deliver the policies to the insureds and collect all premiums due from the insureds. During the period under audit, the producing agents also collected the surplus lines premium taxes due on the policies from the insureds, held them in trust, and timely remitted those taxes to the Comptroller. We believe this system for collecting and paying the required surplus lines premium taxes complies in all respects with the Texas Insurance Code and other regulations, which clearly require that the same party who delivers the policies and collects the premiums will also collect premium taxes, hold premium taxes in trust, and pay premium taxes to the Comptroller. It also complies with long standing industry practice. In addition, effective January 1, 2012 the Texas legislature enacted House Bill 3410 (HB3410) which allows an MGU to contractually pass the collection, payment and administration of surplus lines taxes down to another Texas licensed surplus line agent. The Comptroller has asserted that HSU is liable for the surplus lines premium taxes related to policy transactions and premiums collected from surplus lines insureds during January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011, the period prior to the passage of HB3410, and that HSU therefore owes $2.5 million in premium taxes, as well as $0.7 million in penalties and interest for the audit period. We disagree with the Comptroller and intend to vigorously fight their assertion that HSU is liable for the surplus lines premium taxes. We are currently in negotiations with the Comptroller to settle the matter. However, we are presently unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or legal costs that are likely to arise out of the surplus lines tax audit or any future proceedings relating to this matter. Therefore we have not accrued any amount as of December 31, 2016 related to this matter.  We are engaged in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, none of which, either individually or in the aggregate, are believed likely to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations, in the opinion of management. The various legal proceedings to which we are a party are routine in nature and incidental to our business. 

Changes in Accumulated Other Co

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances [Abstract]
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances	17. Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances: The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income balances as of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 were as follows (in thousands):     Pension Liability Unrealized Gains (Loss) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)  Balance at January 1, 2014 $ (1,480) $ 18,363 $ 16,883  Other comprehensive income:  Change in net actuarial loss (1,723) - (1,723)  Tax effect on change in net actuarial loss 603 - 603  Unrealized holding gains arising during the period - 3,543 3,543  Tax effect on unrealized gains arising during the period - (1,240) (1,240)  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (408) (408)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 143 143  Other comprehensive income, net of tax (1,120) 2,038 918   Balance at December 31, 2014 $ (2,600) $ 20,401 $ 17,801  Other comprehensive loss:  Change in net actuarial gain 43 - 43  Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (15) - (15)  Unrealized holding losses arising during the period - (10,191) (10,191)  Tax effect on unrealized losses arising during the period - 3,567 3,567  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (5,826) (5,826)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 2,039 2,039  Other comprehensive loss, net of tax 28 (10,411) (10,383)   Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (2,572) $ 9,990 $ 7,418  Other comprehensive income:  Change in net actuarial loss (145) - (145)  Tax effect on change in net actuarial loss 51 - 51  Unrealized holding gains arising during the period - 6,019 6,019  Tax effect on unrealized gains arising during the period - (2,107) (2,107)  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (1,331) (1,331)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 466 466  Other comprehensive income, net of tax (94) 3,047 2,953   Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (2,666) $ 13,037 $ 10,371 

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Concentrations of Credit Risk [Abstract]
Concentrations of Credit Risk	   18. Concentrations of Credit Risk :  We maintain cash and cash equivalents in accounts with four financial institutions in excess of the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. We monitor the financial stability of the depository institutions regularly and do not believe excessive risk of depository institution failure existed at December 31, 2016.  We are also subject to credit risk with respect to reinsurers to whom we have ceded underwriting risk. Although a reinsurer is liable for losses to the extent of the coverage it assumes, we remain obligated to our policyholders in the event that the reinsurers do not meet their obligations under the reinsurance agreements. In order to mitigate credit risk to reinsurance companies, we monitor the financial condition of reinsurers on an ongoing basis and review our reinsurance arrangements periodically. Most of our reinsurance recoverable balances as of December 31, 2016 were with reinsurers that had an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or better. We also mitigate our credit risk for the remaining reinsurance recoverable by obtaining letters of credit.

Unaudited Selected Quarterly Fi

Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information	19. Unaudited Selected Financial Quarterly Information : Following is a summary of the unaudited interim results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands, except per share data). In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to present fairly the results of operations for such periods have been made.      2016 2015  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4  Total revenue $ 90,028 $ 91,052 $ 97,618 $ 97,254 $ 91,450 $ 97,197 $ 93,684 $ 90,071  Total expense 84,039 89,565 90,442 103,428 83,761 87,922 83,849 84,984  Income (loss) before tax 5,989 1,487 7,176 (6,174) 7,689 9,275 9,835 5,087  Income tax expense (benefit) 1,915 421 2,128 (2,512) 2,346 2,899 3,137 1,641  Net income (loss) $ 4,074 1,066 $ 5,048 (3,662) $ 5,343 6,376 $ 6,698 3,446   Basic earnings (loss) per share: $ 0.21 $ 0.06 $ 0.27 $ (0.20) $ 0.28 $ 0.33 $ 0.35 $ 0.18   Diluted earnings (loss) per share: $ 0.21 $ 0.06 $ 0.27 $ (0.20) $ 0.28 $ 0.33 $ 0.35 $ 0.17 

Schedule II - Condensed Financi

Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Information Of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure	HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2016 and 2015 (In thousands)     2016 2015 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 9,034 $ 8,014 Investment in subsidiaries 363,078 361,769 Deferred federal income taxes 333 942 Federal income tax recoverable 2,756 - Other assets 3,878 3,435 Total assets $ 379,079 $ 374,160  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Liabilities: Revolving credit facility payable $ 30,000 $ 30,000 Subordinated debt securities (less unamortized debt issuance cost of $1,001 in 2016 and $1,053 in 2015) 55,701 55,649 Current federal income tax payable - 72 Accounts payable and other accrued expenses 27,642 26,413  Total liabilities 113,343 112,134  Stockholders’ equity: Common stock, $.18 par value, authorized 33,333,333 shares; issued 20,872,831 shares in 2016 and in 2015 3,757 3,757 Additional paid-in capital 123,166 123,480 Retained earnings 148,027 141,501 Accumulated other comprehensive income 10,371 7,418 Treasury stock (2,260,849 shares in 2016 and 1,775,512 in 2015), at cost (19,585) (14,130)  Total stockholders’ equity 265,736 262,026  Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 379,079 $ 374,160  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.   HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (In thousands)     2016 2015 2014 Investment income, net of expenses $ 70 $ 120 $ 133 Dividend income from subsidiaries 10,500 8,000 8,000 Management fee income 10,711 10,053 9,614 Total revenues 21,281 18,173 17,747  Operating expenses 9,878 10,222 9,759 Interest expense 4,549 3,906 4,576  Total expenses 14,427 14,128 14,335  Income before equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries and income tax benefit 6,854 4,045 3,412  Income tax benefit (1,315) (1,273) (1,623)  Income before equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries 8,169 5,318 5,035 Equity in undistributed share of (loss) earnings in subsidiaries (1,643) 16,545 8,394  Net income $ 6,526 $ 21,863 $ 13,429  Comprehensive income $ 9,479 $ 11,480 $ 14,347  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.  HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (In thousands)     2016 2015 2014 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 6,526 $ 21,863 $ 13,429  Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization expense 148 65 68 Deferred income tax expense (benefit) 609 (195) 183 Undistributed share of loss (earnings) of subsidiaries 1,643 (16,545) (8,394) Change in current federal income tax (recoverable) payable (2,828) 8 (3,290) Change in all other liabilities 1,228 (7,080) 4,134 Change in all other assets 814 188 (184)  Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 8,140 (1,696) 5,946  Cash flows from investing activities: Purchases of property and equipment, net (1,469) (159) (47) Capital contribution to subsidiaries - (30,000) -  Net cash used in investing activities (1,469) (30,159) (47)  Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options 466 658 1,155 Purchase of treasury shares (6,117) (2,532) (1,805) Activity under revolving credit facility, net - 30,000 (1,473) Payment of debt issuance costs - (96) - Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (5,651) 28,030 (2,123)  Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 1,020 (3,825) 3,776 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 8,014 11,839 8,063 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 9,034 $ 8,014 $ 11,839  Supplemental cash flow information: Interest paid $ 4,287 $ 3,906 $ 4,576  Income taxes paid (recovered) $ 904 $ (1,086) $ 1,481  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.

Schedule III -Supplementary Ins

Schedule III -Supplementary Insurance Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule III - Supplementary Insurance Information [Abstract]
Supplementary Insurance Information	FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES Schedule III - Supplementary Insurance Information  (In thousands)     Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F Column G Column H Column I Column J Column K  Segment  Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims, and Loss Adjustment Expenses Unearned Premiums Other Policy Claims and Benefits Payable Premium Revenue Net Investment Income Benefits, Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Other Operating Expenses Net Premiums Written  2016  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 11,961 $ 358,961 $ 185,634 $ - $ 241,890 $ 12,962 $ 169,125 $ 27,474 $ 58,678 $ 249,072  Standard Commercial Segment 5,849 93,793 34,334 - 67,510 3,471 41,173 12,199 22,117 68,490  Personal Segment 1,383 28,813 21,286 - 43,970 1,276 43,390 (597) 13,119 44,267  Corporate - - - - - (1,367) - - 11,682 -   Consolidated $ 19,193 $ 481,567 $ 241,254 $ - $ 353,370 $ 16,342 $ 253,688 $ 39,076 $ 105,596 $ 361,829   2015  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 13,501 $ 314,975 $ 161,730 $ - $ 237,640 $ 11,524 $ 148,664 $ 23,371 $ 58,212 $ 241,775  Standard Commercial Segment 5,633 105,971 33,701 - 72,613 3,623 47,071 4,237 22,820 71,097  Personal Segment 1,232 29,932 20,976 - 38,828 1,235 34,414 5,066 12,205 44,072  Corporate - - - - - (2,413) - - 10,377 -   Consolidated $ 20,366 $ 450,878 $ 216,407 $ - $ 349,081 $ 13,969 $ 230,149 $ 32,674 $ 103,614 $ 356,944   2014  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 14,125 $ 275,868 $ 146,521 $ - $ 228,823 $ 12,643 $ 149,961 $ 28,186 $ 53,851 $ 230,638  Standard Commercial Segment 5,892 109,672 34,822 - 78,311 4,663 51,130 3,389 25,479 76,912  Personal Segment 729 29,595 15,483 - 14,083 1,633 8,964 9,315 9,977 16,802  Corporate - - - - - (6,556) - - 10,279 -   Consolidated $ 20,746 $ 415,135 $ 196,826 $ - $ 321,217 $ 12,383 $ 210,055 $ 40,890 $ 99,586 $ 324,352  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.

Schedule IV -Reinsurance

Schedule IV -Reinsurance	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Supplemental Schedule of Reinsurance Premiums For Insurance Companies [Abstract]
Reinsurance	Schedule IV – Reinsurance  (In thousands)    Year Ended December 31, 2016 Column B Gross Amount Column C Ceded to Other Companies Column D Assumed from Other Companies Column E Net Amount Column F Percentage of Amount Assumed to Net  Life insurance in force $ - $ - $ - $ -   Premiums  Life insurance $ - $ - $ - $ -  Accident and health insurance - - - -  Property and liability insurance 524,229 170,859 - 353,370 0.00%  Title Insurance - - - -  Total premiums $ 524,229 $ 170,859 $ - $ 353,370 0.00%   Year Ended December 31, 2015  Life insurance in force $ - $ - $ - $ -   Premiums  Life insurance $ - $ - $ - $ -  Accident and health insurance - - - -  Property and liability insurance 494,643 145,562 - 349,081 0.00%  Title Insurance - - - -  Total premiums $ 494,643 $ 145,562 $ - $ 349,081 0.00%   Year Ended December 31, 2014  Life insurance in force $ - $ - $ - $ -   Premiums  Life insurance $ - $ - $ - $ -  Accident and health insurance - - - -  Property and liability insurance 461,367 140,477 327 321,217 0.10%  Title Insurance - - - -  Total premiums $ 461,367 $ 140,477 $ 327 $ 321,217 0.10%  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.

Schedule VI -Supplemental Infor

Schedule VI -Supplemental Information Concerning Property-Casualty Insurance Operations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Supplemental Information For Property, Casualty Insurance Underwriters [Abstract]
Supplemental Information Concerning Property-Casualty Insurance Operations	FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES  Schedule VI - Supplemental Information Concerning Property-Casualty Insurance Operations  (In thousands)     Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F Column G Column H Column I Column J Column K  Affiliation With Registrant Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Reserves for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Discount if any, Deducted In Column C Unearned Premiums Earned Premiums Net Investment Income Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisitions Costs Paid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expenses Net Premiums Written  (1) Current Year (2) Prior Years  (a) Consolidated property-casualty Entities  2016 $ 19,193 $ 481,567 $ - $ 241,254 $ 353,370 $ 16,342 $ 246,080 $ 7,608 $ 39,076 $ 243,445 $ 361,829  2015 $ 20,366 $ 450,878 $ - $ 216,407 $ 349,081 $ 13,969 $ 237,102 $ (6,953) $ 32,674 $ 205,254 $ 356,944  2014 $ 20,746 $ 415,135 $ - $ 196,826 $ 321,217 $ 12,383 $ 215,258 $ (5,203) $ 40,890 $ 199,331 $ 324,352  See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.

Accounting Policies (Policies)

Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
General	General  Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (“Hallmark” and, together with subsidiaries, the “Company”, “we,” “us” or “our”) is an insurance holding company engaged in the sale of property/casualty insurance products to businesses and individuals. Our business involves marketing, distributing, underwriting and servicing our insurance products, as well as providing other insurance related services.  We market, distribute, underwrite and service our property/casualty insurance products primarily through subsidiaries whose operations are organized into product-specific operating units that are supported by our insurance company subsidiaries. Our MGA Commercial Products operating unit handles primarily commercial insurance products and services and is comprised of Hallmark Specialty Underwriters, Inc. (“HSU”), Pan American Acceptance Corporation (“PAAC”) and TGA Special Risk, Inc. (“TGASRI”). Our Specialty Commercial operating unit offers (i) general aviation insurance products and services, (ii) low and middle market commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance, (iii) medical professional liability insurance products and services, (iv) satellite launch insurance products, and (v) primary/excess commercial property coverages for both catastrophe and non-catastrophe exposures. Our Specialty Commercial operating unit is comprised of Aerospace Insurance Managers, Inc. (“Aerospace Insurance Managers”), Aerospace Special Risk, Inc. (“ASRI”), Aerospace Claims Management Group, Inc. (“ACMG”), Heath XS, LLC (“HXS”) and Hardscrabble Data Solutions, LLC (“HDS”). Our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit handles commercial insurance products and services and is comprised of American Hallmark Insurance Services, Inc. (“American Hallmark Insurance Services”) and Effective Claims Management, Inc. (“ECM”). Our Workers Compensation operating unit specializes in small and middle market workers compensation business and is comprised of TBIC Holding Corporation, Inc. (“TBIC Holding”), Texas Builders Insurance Company (“TBIC”) and TBIC Risk Management (“TBICRM”). Effective July 1, 2015, this operating unit no longer markets or retains any risk on new or renewal policies. Our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit handles personal insurance products and services and is comprised of American Hallmark General Agency, Inc. (“AHGA”) and Hallmark Claims Services, Inc. (“HCS”). Our insurance company subsidiaries supporting these operating units are American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas (“AHIC”), Hallmark Insurance Company (“HIC”), Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company (“HSIC”), Hallmark County Mutual Insurance Company (“HCM”), Hallmark National Insurance Company (“HNIC”) and TBIC.  These operating units are segregated into three reportable industry segments for financial accounting purposes. The Specialty Commercial Segment includes our MGA Commercial Products operating unit and our Specialty Commercial operating unit. The Standard Commercial Segment includes our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and our Workers Compensation operating unit. The Personal Segment consists solely of our Specialty Personal Lines operating unit.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation  The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Hallmark and its subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) which, as to our insurance company subsidiaries, differ from statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted for insurance companies by insurance regulatory authorities.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications  Certain prior year amounts have been reclassfied to conform with current year presentation .
Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements	Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements  Our preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and our reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Since future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment may be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments  Fair value estimates are made at a point in time, based on relevant market data as well as the best information available about the financial instruments. Fair value estimates for financial instruments for which no or limited observable market data is available are based on judgments regarding current economic conditions, credit and interest rate risk. These estimates involve significant uncertainties and judgments and cannot be determined with precision. As a result, such calculated fair value estimates may not be realizable in a current sale or immediate settlement of the instrument. In addition, changes in the underlying assumptions used in the fair value measurement technique, including discount rate and estimates of future cash flows, could significantly affect these fair value estimates.  Cash and Cash Equivalents: The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for these instruments approximate their fair values.  Restricted Cash: The carrying amount for restricted cash reported in the balance sheet approximates the fair value.  Revolving Credit Facility Payable: Our revolving credit facility with Frost Bank had a carried value of $30.0 million and a fair value of $30.2 million as of December 31, 2016. The fair value is based on discounted cash flows using a discount rate derived from LIBOR spot rates plus a market spread resulting in discount rates ranging between 3.3% to 4.5% for each future payment date. This revolving credit facility would be included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy if it was reported at fair value. Subordinated debt securities: Our trust preferred securities are reported at carry value of $55.7 million and $55.6 million, and had a fair value of $44.2 million and $44.2 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The fair value of our trust preferred securities is based on discounted cash flows using current yields to maturity of 8.0% and 8.0% as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are based on similar issues to discount future cash flows and would be included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy if they were reported at fair value.  For reinsurance balances, premiums receivable, federal income tax payable, other assets and other liabilities, the carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short maturity of such financial instruments.
Investments	Investments  Debt and equity securities available for sale are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses are recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity, net of related tax effects. Equity securities that are determined to have other-than-temporary impairment are recognized as a loss on investments in the consolidated statements of operations. Debt securities that are determined to have other-than-temporary impairment are recognized as a loss on investments in the consolidated statements of operations for the portion that is related to credit deterioration with the remaining portion recognized in other comprehensive income. Debt security premiums and discounts are amortized into earnings using the effective interest method. Maturities of debt securities and sales of equity securities are recorded in receivable for securities until the cash is settled. Purchases of debt and equity securities are recorded in payable for securities until the cash is settled.  Other investments consists of an equity warrant which is reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses are reported in the statement of operations as a component of net realized gains (losses).  Realized investment gains and losses are recognized in operations on the specific identification method.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents  We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Restricted Cash	Restricted Cash  We collect premiums from customers and, after deducting authorized commissions, remit these premiums to the Company’s consolidated insurance subsidiaries. Unremitted insurance premiums are held in a fiduciary capacity until disbursed to the Company’s consolidated insurance subsidiaries.
Premiums Receivable	Premiums Receivable  Premiums receivable represent amounts due from policyholders or independent agents for premiums written and uncollected. These balances are carried at net realizable value. 
Reinsurance	Reinsurance  We are routinely involved in reinsurance transactions with other companies. Reinsurance premiums, losses and loss adjustment expenses (“LAE”) are accounted for on bases consistent with those used in accounting for the original policies issued and the terms of the reinsurance contracts. (See Note 7.)
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs  Policy acquisition costs (mainly commission, underwriting and marketing expenses) that are directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts are deferred and charged to operations over periods in which the related premiums are earned. The method followed in computing deferred policy acquisition costs limits the amount of such deferred costs to their estimated realizable value. In determining estimated realizable value, the computation gives effect to the premium to be earned, expected investment income, losses and LAE and certain other costs expected to be incurred as the premiums are earned. If the computation results in an estimated net realizable value less than zero, a liability will be accrued for the premium deficiency. During 2016, 2015 and 2014, we deferred $37.9 million, $32.3 million and $39.1 million of policy acquisition costs and amorti zed $39.1 million, $32.7 million and $40.9 million of deferred policy acquisition costs, respectively. Therefore, the net (amortization) deferrals of policy acquisition costs were ($1.2) million, ($0.4) million and ($1.8) million for 2016, 2015 and 201 4, respectively.
Business Combinations	Business Combinations  We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, “Business Combinations.” The base cash purchase price plus the estimated fair value of any non-cash or contingent consideration given for an acquired business is allocated to the assets acquired (including identified intangible assets) and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair values of such assets and liabilities. The excess of the fair value of the total consideration given for an acquired business over the aggregate net fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. Contingent consideration is recognized as a liability at fair value as of the acquisition date with subsequent fair value adjustments recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. The valuation of contingent consideration requires assumptions regarding anticipated cash flows, probabilities of cash flows, discount rates and other factors. Significant judgment is employed in determining the propriety of these assumptions as of the acquisition date and for each subsequent period. Accordingly, future business and economic conditions, as well as changes in any of the assumptions, can materially impact the amount of contingent consideration expense we record in any given period. Indirect and general expenses related to business combinations are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net	Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net  We account for our goodwill and intangible assets according to ASC 350, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other.” Under ASC 350 , Intangible assets with a finite life are amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset. Goodwill and intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. Goodwill and intangible assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. For goodwill, we may perform a qualitative test to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The first step of the quantitative test is to identify if a potential impairment exists by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill (“Step 1”). If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered to have a potential impairment and the second step is not necessary. However, if the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step (“Step 2”) is performed to determine if goodwill is impaired and to measure the amount of impairment loss to recognize, if any. Step 2 compares the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying amount of goodwill. If the implied value of goodwill is less than the carrying amount of goodwill, it is written down to its fair value with a corresponding expense reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The implied goodwill is calculated based on a hypothetical purchase price allocation, similar to the requirements in the accounting guidance for business combinations, whereby the implied fair value of the reporting unit is allocated to the fair value of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. We have elected to perform our goodwill impairment test on the first day of the fourth quarter, October 1, of each year. 
Leases	Leases  We have several leases, primarily for office facilities and computer equipment, which expire in various years through 2022. Some of these leases include rent escalation provisions throughout the term of the lease. We expense the average annual cost of the lease with the difference to the actual rent invoices recorded as deferred rent which is classified in accounts payable and other accrued expenses on our consolidated balance sheets.
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment  Property and equipment (including leasehold improvements), aggregating $22.2 million and $ 17.9 million, at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which is included in other assets, is recorded at cost and is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets ( three to ten years). Depreciation expense for 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $1.4 million, $1.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively. Accumulated depreciation was $15.1 million and $13.7 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Variable Interest Entities	Variable Interest Entities  On June 21, 2005, we formed Hallmark Statutory Trust I (“Trust I”), an unconsolidated trust subsidiary, for the sole purpose of issuing $30.0 million in trust preferred securities. Trust I used the proceeds from the sale of these securities and our initial capital contribution to purchase $30.9 million of subordinated debt securities from Hallmark. The debt securities are the sole assets of Trust I, and the payments under the debt securities are the sole revenues of Trust I.  On August 23, 2007, we formed Hallmark Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”), an unconsolidated trust subsidiary, for the sole purpose of issuing $25.0 million in trust preferred securities. Trust II used the proceeds from the sale of these securities and our initial capital contribution to purchase $25.8 million of subordinated debt securities from Hallmark. The debt securities are the sole assets of Trust II, and the payments under the debt securities are the sole revenues of Trust II.  We evaluate on an ongoing basis our investments in Trust I and Trust II (collectively, the “Trusts”) and we do not have variable interests in the Trusts. Therefore, the Trusts are not consolidated in our consolidated financial statements.  We are also involved in the normal course of business with variable interest entities primarily as a passive investor in mortgage-backed securities and certain collateralized corporate bank loans issued by third party variable interest entities. The maximum exposure to loss with respect to these investments is limited to the investment carrying values included in the consolidated balance sheets.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses	Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses  Losses and LAE represent the estimated ultimate net cost of all reported and unreported losses incurred through December 31, 2016 and 2015. The reserves for unpaid losses and LAE are estimated using individual case-basis valuations and statistical analyses. These estimates are subject to the effects of trends in loss severity and frequency. Although considerable variability is inherent in such estimates, we believe that the reserves for unpaid losses and LAE are adequate. The estimates are continually reviewed and adjusted as experience develops or new information becomes known. Such adjustments are included in current operations.
Recognition of Premium Revenues	Recognition of Premium Revenues  Insurance premiums are earned pro rata over the terms of the policies. Insurance policy fees are earned as of the effective date of the policy. Upon cancellation, any unearned premium is refunded to the insured. Insurance premiums written include gross policy fees of $9.8 million, $11.2 million and $11.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Insurance premiums on monthly reporting workers’ compensation policies are earned on the conclusion of the monthly coverage period. Deposit premiums for workers’ compensation policies are earned upon the expiration of the policy.
Finance Charges	Finance Charges  We receive premium installment fees for each direct bill payment from policyholders. Installment fee income is classified as finance charges on the consolidated statement of operations and is recognized as the fee is invoiced. 
Relationship with Third Party Insurers	Relationship with Third Party Insurers  Through December 31, 2005, our Standard Commercial P&C operating unit marketed policies on behalf of Clarendon National Insurance Company (“Clarendon”), a third-party insurer. Through December 31, 2008, all business of our MGA Commercial Products operating unit was produced under a fronting agreement with member companies of the Republic Group (“Republic”), a third-party insurer. These insurance contracts on third party paper are accounted for under agency accounting. Ceding commissions and other fees received under these arrangements were classified as unearned commission revenue until earned pro rata over the terms of the policies.
Recognition of Commission Revenues of Our Standard and Specialty Commercial Segments	 Profit sharing commission is calculated and recognized when the loss ratio, as determined by a qualified actuary, deviates from contractual targets. We received a provisional commission as policies were produced as an advance against the later determination of the profit sharing commission actually earned. The profit sharing commission is an estimate that varies with the estimated loss ratio and is sensitive to changes in that estimate. Profit share commission is classified as commissions and fees on the consolidated statement of operations .  The following table details the profit sharing commission provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for each effective quota share treaty between the Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and Clarendon.      Treaty Effective Dates  7/1/2001 7/1/2002 7/1/2003 7/1/2004 7/1/2005  Provisional loss ratio 60.0% 59.0% 59.0% 64.2% 64.2%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 63.5% 64.5% 61.2% 66.1% 61.0%  As of December 31, 2016, we had a payable of $0.6 million on these profit share treaties. The payable or receivable is the difference between the cash received to date and the recognized commission revenue based on the estimated ultimate loss ratio.  The following table details the profit sharing commission revenue provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for the effective quota share treaty between the MGA Commercial Products operating unit and Republic.       Treaty Effective Dates  1/1/2006 1/1/2007 1/1/2008  Provisional loss ratio 65.0% 65.0% 65.0%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 59.1% 65.0% 60.6%  As of December 31, 2016, we had a net payable of $1.1 million on these profit share treaties. The payable or receivable is the difference between the cash received to date and the recognized commission revenue based on the estimated ultimate loss ratio. 
Agent Commissions	Agent Commissions  We pay monthly commissions to agents based on written premium produced, but generally recognize the expense pro rata over the term of the policy. If the policy is cancelled prior to its expiration, the unearned portion of the agent commission is refundable to us. The unearned portion of commissions paid to agents is included in deferred policy acquisition costs. We annually pay a profit sharing commission to our independent agency force based upon the results of the business produced by each agent. We estimate and accrue this liability to commission expense in the year the business is produced.  Commission expense is classified as operating expenses in the consolidated statement s of operations.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes  We file a consolidated federal income tax return. Deferred federal income taxes reflect the future tax consequences of differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each year end. Deferred taxes are recognized using the liability method, whereby tax rates are applied to cumulative temporary differences based on when and how they are expected to affect the tax return. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for tax rate changes in effect for the year in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share  The computation of earnings per share is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus the effect of common shares potentially issuable (in periods in which they have a dilutive effect), primarily from stock options. (See Notes 11 and 13.)
Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements	Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements  In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, "Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis" (Topic 810). ASU 2015-02 changes the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether entities should be consolidated if they are deemed variable interest entities. It is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. We have adopted this standard as of the effective date, and the adoption did not impact our financial statements.  In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs,” which amends the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 835-30 “Interest-Imputation of Interest.” ASU 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. For public business entities, the guidance was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2016 and adjusted our prior period balances to reflect the adoption of this guidance.  In May 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires additional disclosures about short-duration contracts for products in effect for typically a year or less. The disclosures will focus on the liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We have adopted this standard as of the effective date, and the adoption had no impact on our financial statements other than to provide for additional footnote disclosures.  Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements  In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance which revises the criteria for revenue recognition. Insurance contracts are excluded from the scope of the new guidance. Under the guidance, the transaction price is attributed to underlying performance obligations in the contract and revenue is recognized as the entity satisfies the performance obligations and transfers control of a good or service to the customer. Incremental costs of obtaining a contract may be capitalized to the extent the entity expects to recover those costs. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and is to be applied retrospectively. Revenue from insurance contracts is excluded from the scope of this new guidance and as a result, adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.  In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (Subtopic 825-10). ASU 2016-01 will require equity investments that are not consolidated or accounted for under the equity method of accounting to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. This ASU will also require us to assess the ability to realize our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) related to an available-for-sale debt security in combination with our other DTAs. The ASU will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. While we continue to evaluate the impact of this ASU, we anticipate the standard will increase the volatility of our consolidated statements of income, resulting from the remeasurement of our equity investments.  In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires organizations that lease assets to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. Additionally, the ASU modifies current guidance for lessors' accounting. The ASU is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate that this ASU will have a material impact on our results of operations, but we anticipate an increase to the value of our assets and liabilities related to leases, with no material impact to equity.  In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (Topic 326). ASU 2016-13 requires organizations to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including receivables and available-for-sale debt securities, by introducing an approach based on expected losses. The expected loss approach will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The ASU requires a modified retrospective transition method and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of the ASU will have on our financial results and disclosures, but do not anticipate that any such potential impact would be material.

Accounting Policies (Tables)

Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Profit Sharing Commission	The following table details the profit sharing commission provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for each effective quota share treaty between the Standard Commercial P&C operating unit and Clarendon.      Treaty Effective Dates  7/1/2001 7/1/2002 7/1/2003 7/1/2004 7/1/2005  Provisional loss ratio 60.0% 59.0% 59.0% 64.2% 64.2%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 63.5% 64.5% 61.2% 66.1% 61.0%  As of December 31, 2016, we had a payable of $0.6 million on these profit share treaties. The payable or receivable is the difference between the cash received to date and the recognized commission revenue based on the estimated ultimate loss ratio.  The following table details the profit sharing commission revenue provisional loss ratio compared to the estimated ultimate loss ratio for the effective quota share treaty between the MGA Commercial Products operating unit and Republic.       Treaty Effective Dates  1/1/2006 1/1/2007 1/1/2008  Provisional loss ratio 65.0% 65.0% 65.0%  Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded at December 31, 2016 59.1% 65.0% 60.6% 

Investments (Tables)

Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Investments [Abstract]
Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Investments in Debt and Equity Securities	The amortized cost and estimated fair value of investments in debt and equity securities by category is as follows (in thousands):      As of December 31, 2016 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 41,976 $ 66 $ (20) $ 42,022  Corporate bonds 224,915 1,722 (575) 226,062  Collateralized corporate bank loans 105,220 959 (170) 106,009  Municipal bonds 165,900 956 (2,961) 163,895  Mortgage-backed 59,773 49 (353) 59,469   Total debt securities 597,784 3,752 (4,079) 597,457   Total equity securities 31,449 21,052 (790) 51,711   Total other investments 3,763 1,188 - 4,951   Total investments $ 632,996 $ 25,992 $ (4,869) $ 654,119   As of December 31, 2015  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 76,323 $ 7 $ (61) $ 76,269  Corporate bonds 122,894 637 (1,822) 121,709  Collateralized corporate bank loans 83,434 44 (1,882) 81,596  Municipal bonds 196,446 1,888 (5,966) 192,368  Mortgage-backed 59,532 155 (304) 59,383   Total debt securities 538,629 2,731 (10,035) 531,325   Total equity securities 24,524 23,364 (838) 47,050   Total other investments 427 27 - 454   Total investments $ 563,580 $ 26,122 $ (10,873) $ 578,829 
Major Categories of Investment Income	Major categories of net investment income are summarized as follows (in thousands):      Twelve Months Ended December 31  2016 2015 2014  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 594 $ 670 $ 395  Corporate bonds 5,573 1,435 1,378  Collateralized corporate bank loans 3,190 4,727 4,400  Municipal bonds 5,442 5,901 5,232  Mortgage-backed 1,320 1,288 995  Equity securities 638 673 509  Other investments - - -  Cash and cash equivalents 277 148 230  17,034 14,842 13,139  Investment expenses (692) (873) (756)  Investment income, net of expenses $ 16,342 $ 13,969 $ 12,383 
Major Categories of Net Realized Gains on Investments	Major categories of net realized gains (losses) on investments are summarized as follows (in thousands):      Twelve Months Ended December 31  2016 2015 2014  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ - $ -  Corporate bonds (264) - 263  Collateralized corporate bank loans (86) 126 109  Municipal bonds (189) (83) (140)  Mortgage-backed (1) 240 32  Equity securities 1,871 5,543 144  Gain on investments 1,331 5,826 408  Unrealized gain on other investments 1,188 - -  Other-than-temporary impairments (2,888) (3,323) (274)  Net realized (losses) gains $ (369) $ 2,503 $ 134 
Summary of Gross Unrealized Loss Position	The following schedules summarize the gross unrealized losses showing the length of time that investments have been continuously in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands):      As of December 31, 2016  12 months or less Longer than 12 months Total  Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 7,037 $ (20) $ - $ - $ 7,037 $ (20)  Corporate bonds 86,592 (575) - - 86,592 (575)  Collateralized corporate bank loans 2,637 (7) 8,314 (163) 10,951 (170)  Municipal bonds 70,633 (1,327) 13,574 (1,634) 84,207 (2,961)  Mortgage-backed 29,475 (348) 2,430 (5) 31,905 (353)  Total debt securities 196,374 (2,277) 24,318 (1,802) 220,692 (4,079)   Total equity securities 4,109 (483) 2,037 (307) 6,146 (790)   Total other investments - - - - - -   Total investments $ 200,483 $ (2,760) $ 26,355 $ (2,109) $ 226,838 $ (4,869)      As of December 31, 2015  12 months or less Longer than 12 months Total  Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ 41,428 $ (61) $ - $ - $ 41,428 $ (61)  Corporate bonds 96,475 (1,822) - - 96,475 (1,822)  Collateralized corporate bank loans 65,868 (1,758) 3,532 (124) 69,400 (1,882)  Municipal bonds 44,525 (488) 25,310 (5,478) 69,835 (5,966)  Mortgage-backed 36,251 (302) 48 (2) 36,299 (304)  Total debt securities 284,547 (4,431) 28,890 (5,604) 313,437 (10,035)   Total equity securities 6,584 (838) - - 6,584 (838)   Total other investments - - - - - -   Total investments $ 291,131 $ (5,269) $ 28,890 $ (5,604) $ 320,021 $ (10,873) 
Carrying Value of Other Invested Assets Portfolio	Details regarding the carrying value of the other invested assets portfolio as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:     2016 2015  Investment Type  Equity warrant $ 4,951 $ 454  Total other investments $ 4,951 $ 454 
Schedule of Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Debt Securities	The amortized cost and estimated fair value of debt securities at December 31, 2016 by contractual maturity are as follows. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because certain borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without penalties.      Amortized Cost Fair Value  (in thousands)  Due in one year or less $ 97,836 $ 97,849  Due after one year through five years 272,190 272,168  Due after five years through ten years 114,461 115,248  Due after ten years 53,524 52,723  Mortgage-backed 59,773 59,469  $ 597,784 $ 597,457 

Fair Value (Tables)

Fair Value (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value [Abstract]
Fair Value of Assets Measured on a Recurring Basis	The following table presents for each of the fair value hierarchy levels, our assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands).       As of December 31, 2016  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ 42,022 $ - $ 42,022  Corporate bonds - 226,062 - 226,062  Collateralized corporate bank loans - 106,009 - 106,009  Municipal bonds - 158,216 5,679 163,895  Mortgage-backed - 59,469 - 59,469  Total debt securities - 591,778 5,679 597,457   Total equity securities 51,445 - 266 51,711   Total other investments 4,951 - - 4,951  Total investments $ 56,396 $ 591,778 $ 5,945 $ 654,119      As of December 31, 2015  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government $ - $ 76,269 $ - $ 76,269  Corporate bonds - 121,709 - 121,709  Collateralized corporate bank loans - 81,596 - 81,596  Municipal bonds - 178,281 14,087 192,368  Mortgage-backed - 59,383 - 59,383  Total debt securities - 517,238 14,087 531,325   Total equity securities 47,050 - - 47,050   Total other investments 454 - - 454  Total investments $ 47,504 $ 517,238 $ 14,087 $ 578,829 
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)	The following table summarizes the changes in fair value for all financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands).      2016 2015  Beginning balance as of January 1 $ 14,087 $ 14,598  Sales - (370)  Settlements (8,825) -  Purchases - -  Issuances - -  Total realized/unrealized gains included in net income 417 -  Net losses included in other comprehensive income - (141)  Transfers into Level 3 266 -  Transfers out of Level 3 - -  Ending balance as of December 31 $ 5,945 $ 14,087 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Schedule of Acquired Intangible Assets by Major Category	We have obtained various intangible assets from several acquisitions since 2002. The table below details the gross and net carrying amounts of these assets by major category (in thousands):      December 31  2016 2015  Gross Carrying Amount:  Customer/agent relationships $ 32,177 $ 32,177  Tradename 3,440 3,440  Management agreement 3,232 3,232  Non-compete & employment agreements 4,235 4,235  Insurance licenses 1,300 1,300  Total gross carrying amount 44,384 44,384   Accumulated Amortization:  Customer/agent relationships (22,038) (19,799)  Tradename (2,388) (2,159)  Management agreement (3,232) (3,232)  Non-compete & employment agreements (4,235) (4,235)  Total accumulated amortization (31,893) (29,425)  Total net carrying amount $ 12,491 $ 14,959
Schedule of Estimated Aggregate Amortization Expense for Definite-Lived Intangible Assets	Insurance licenses are not amortized because they have an indefinite life. We amortize definite-lived intangible assets straight line over their respective lives. The estimated aggregate amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets for the next five years is as follows (in thousands):      2017 $ 2,468  2018 $ 2,468  2019 $ 2,468  2020 $ 2,468  2021 $ 503 
Schedule of Weighted Average Amortization Period for Definite Lived Intangible Assets by Major Cass	The weighted average amortization period for definite-lived intangible assets by major class is as follows:     Years  Tradename 15  Customer/ agent relationships 15  Management agreement 4  Non-compete agreements 5 

Other Assets (Tables)

Other Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Assets [Abstract]
Schedule of Other Assets	The following table details our other assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):     2016 2015  Profit sharing commission receivable $ 251 $ 228  Credit Facility B issuance costs 109 92  Accrued investment income 4,599 3,876  Investment in unconsolidated trust subsidiaries 1,702 1,702  Fixed assets 6,947 4,120  Other assets 193 174  $ 13,801 $ 10,192 

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an37

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses [Abstract]
Activity in the Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense	 Activity in the consolidated reserves for unpaid losses and LAE is summarized as follows (in thousands):       2016 2015 2014   Balance at January 1 $ 450,878 $ 415,135 $ 382,640  Less reinsurance recoverable 102,791 91,943 70,172  Net balance at January 1 348,087 323,192 312,468   Incurred related to:  Current year 246,080 237,102 215,258  Prior years 7,608 (6,953) (5,203)  Total incurred 253,688 230,149 210,055   Paid related to:  Current year 93,067 83,132 76,231  Prior years 150,378 122,122 123,100  Total paid 243,445 205,254 199,331   Net balance at December 31 358,330 348,087 323,192  Plus reinsurance recoverable 123,237 102,791 91,943  Balance at December 31 $ 481,567 $ 450,878 $ 415,135 
Schedule of Incurred and Paid Claims Development	The following tables also include IBNR reserves plus expected development on reported claims and the cumulative number of reported claims as of December 31, 2016 ($ in thousands):  Specialty Commercial Segment     Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 51,458 $ 52,141 $ 51,813 $ 52,673 $ 50,158 $ 49,654 $ 49,096 $ 49,056 $ 49,290 $ 49,544 $ 68 6,095  2008 55,617 56,150 58,143 57,923 56,579 55,157 55,425 55,457 55,864 (102) 7,367  2009 60,950 62,679 61,196 59,471 59,831 59,635 59,988 61,361 87 5,456  2010 74,187 78,089 75,695 77,593 78,003 77,972 77,631 1,227 4,999  2011 88,679 87,558 91,059 90,713 89,737 87,793 1,641 5,782  2012 106,371 111,253 111,841 115,709 116,320 2,020 7,337  2013 140,546 135,114 137,230 143,983 2,127 9,188  2014 144,996 133,464 138,842 6,547 10,049  2015 147,304 146,610 23,447 10,707  2016 151,494 52,283 10,424  Total $ 1,029,442                      Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ 18,851 $ 33,504 $ 41,344 $ 44,861 $ 47,453 $ 48,612 $ 48,612 $ 48,783 $ 48,860 $ 49,025  2008 24,134 37,803 44,903 51,280 53,723 53,577 54,080 54,909 55,372  2009 21,259 34,411 45,757 53,135 56,791 57,641 59,149 60,785  2010 24,818 45,234 58,139 68,625 73,398 74,513 75,787  2011 27,454 53,509 71,697 80,004 83,787 84,936  2012 37,655 60,923 82,066 97,680 109,060  2013 40,475 76,366 101,725 126,025  2014 42,097 73,631 99,521  2015 39,515 74,906  2016 41,397  Total $ 776,814  All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance (26)  Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 252,602        (1                  S tandard Commercial Segment     Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 48,423 $ 45,280 $ 42,632 $ 42,898 $ 41,814 $ 39,476 $ 37,894 $ 36,798 $ 37,321 $ 36,419 $ 576 3,156  2008 49,452 47,557 46,762 45,556 42,758 41,597 40,387 40,001 39,195 1,826 3,246  2009 44,719 45,674 46,772 46,778 45,970 44,159 43,851 43,107 2,102 2,632  2010 45,263 45,235 44,847 43,164 43,459 42,426 42,175 2,252 2,903  2011 60,236 56,489 55,156 49,268 47,266 47,423 3,387 4,364  2012 51,998 52,554 48,222 45,990 44,272 5,144 3,212  2013 55,482 57,528 56,703 53,174 6,379 3,910  2014 55,488 55,808 53,568 8,979 3,531  2015 49,571 49,857 11,946 3,129  2016 46,880 16,885 2,554  Total $ 456,070       Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ 13,883 $ 20,362 $ 25,484 $ 28,908 $ 31,311 $ 32,288 $ 32,949 $ 33,561 $ 33,982 $ 34,483  2008 17,182 25,624 29,058 32,523 34,056 34,762 35,360 36,276 36,859  2009 15,242 28,313 32,075 35,818 38,316 40,389 40,575 40,629  2010 21,302 28,342 30,957 33,428 37,166 39,115 39,706  2011 24,899 35,119 38,909 40,301 41,140 42,441  2012 23,445 32,203 34,789 37,191 38,526  2013 23,123 36,411 41,809 44,475  2014 24,255 37,122 41,514  2015 19,085 34,245  2016 21,508  Total $ 374,386  All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance 538  Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 82,222       Personal Segment    Incurred Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance As of December 31,  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31, IBNR Cumulative Number of Reported Claims  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016 2016   2007 $ 28,774 $ 31,603 $ 31,252 $ 31,485 $ 31,651 $ 31,931 $ 32,272 $ 32,517 $ 32,528 $ 32,528 $ - 15,814  2008 36,247 36,976 38,329 39,412 39,793 40,170 40,239 40,324 40,369 - 17,353  2009 40,436 42,092 46,244 47,977 48,930 49,694 49,772 49,891 - 21,052  2010 63,862 78,294 80,765 84,724 83,903 84,252 84,591 6 30,179  2011 75,746 77,652 87,810 86,757 86,804 86,948 (28) 31,612  2012 58,604 73,795 70,552 71,513 72,042 50 23,937  2013 55,706 59,132 60,100 60,211 234 23,461  2014 5,452 5,340 6,243 406 19,275  2015 23,104 25,682 1,813 23,234  2016 32,260 6,638 21,134  Total $ 490,765      Cumulative Paid Claims and Allocated Claim Adjustment Expenses, Net of Reinsurance  Accident Year For the Years Ended December 31,  Unaudited  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   2007 $ $ 18,106 $ 27,757 $ 30,043 $ 30,975 $ 31,355 $ 31,523 $ 32,056 $ 31,213 $ 32,531 $ 32,530  2008 20,005 32,555 36,782 38,925 39,511 40,210 40,309 40,323 40,347  2009 23,306 37,621 44,689 47,967 49,287 49,539 49,704 49,853  2010 38,643 67,755 75,199 82,624 83,511 84,111 84,556  2011 46,416 67,939 83,497 85,533 86,217 86,593  2012 37,860 64,278 68,849 70,807 71,995  2013 45,901 54,514 58,047 59,775  2014 2,515 4,418 5,631  2015 11,570 22,281  2016 21,669  Total $ 475,230   All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance 9   Liabilities for claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance $ 15,544 
Reconciliation of Claims Development to Liability for Unpaid Losses	The reconciliation of the net incurred and paid development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in our Consolidated Balance Sheets is as follows (in thousands):     2016   Net outstanding liabilities for losses and LAE   Specialty Commercial Segment $ 252,602  Standard Commercial Segment 82,222  Personal Segment 15,544  Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance 350,368   Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and LAE  Specialty Commercial Segment 102,597  Standard Commercial Segment 8,540  Personal Segment 12,100  Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and LAE 123,237   Unallocated loss adjustment expenses  Specialty Commercial Segment 3,831  Standard Commercial Segment 3,031  Personal Segment 1,100  Total unallocated loss adjustment expenses 7,962   Total reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses $ 481,567 
Annual percentage payout of incurred losses and ALAE	The following table provides supplementary unaudited information about the annual percentage payout of incurred losses and ALAE, net of reinsurance, as of December 31, 2016:                  Average Annual Percentage Payout of Incurred Claims by Age, Net of Reinsurance (1)  Unaudited  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10  Specialty Commercial Segment 32.4% 24.8% 17.4% 12.0% 6.0% 1.2% 1.2% 1.5% 0.5% -0.3%  Standard Commercial Segment 44.6% 23.0% 8.7% 6.6% 5.0% 3.3% 1.3% 1.4% 1.3% -1.4%  Personal Segment 51.5% 29.2% 10.9% 4.3% 1.4% 0.8% 0.7% -0.7% 1.9% 0.0%      (   The average annual percentage payout is calculated from a paid losses and ALAE development pattern based on an actuarial analysis of the paid losses and ALAE movements by accident year for each disaggregation category. The paid losses and AL A E development pattern provides the expected percentage of ultimate losses and ALAE to be paid in each year. The pattern considers all accident years included in the claims development tables

Reinsurance (Tables)

Reinsurance (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Reinsurance [Abstract]
Schedule of Reinsurance Ceded and Recoveries	The following table presents our gross and net premiums written and earned and reinsurance recoveries for each of the last three years (in thousands):  Included in reinsurance recoverable on the consolidated balance sheets are paid loss recoverables of $ XX million and $ 17.0 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.    2016 2015 2014  Premium Written :  Direct $ 549,077 $ 514,223 $ 473,233  Assumed - - (15)  Ceded (187,248) (157,279) (148,866)  $ 361,829 $ 356,944 $ 324,352   Premium Earned:  Direct $ 524,229 $ 494,643 $ 461,367  Assumed - - 327  Ceded (170,859) (145,562) (140,477)  $ 353,370 $ 349,081 $ 321,217   Reinsurance recoveries $ 116,057 $ 89,892 $ 99,911 

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Information [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting, by Segment	The following is additional business segment information for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):        2016 2015 2014  Revenues  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 255,897 $ 249,910 $ 241,920  Standard Commercial Segment 71,966 76,864 81,464  Personal Segment 49,826 45,538 20,404  Corporate (1,737) 90 (6,422)  Consolidated $ 375,952 $ 372,402 $ 337,366    Depreciation and Amortization Expense  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 2,579 $ 2,537 $ 2,503  Standard Commercial Segment 101 136 183  Personal Segment 1,070 779 515  Corporate 144 64 23  Consolidated $ 3,894 $ 3,516 $ 3,224    Interest Expense  Specialty Commercial Segment $ - $ - $ -  Standard Commercial Segment - - -  Personal Segment - - -  Corporate 4,549 3,906 4,576  Consolidated $ 4,549 $ 3,906 $ 4,576    Tax Expense (Benefit)  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 7,886 $ 11,609 $ 9,690  Standard Commercial Segment 3,011 1,436 622  Personal Segment (3,821) (1,345) (574)  Corporate (5,124) (1,677) (4,385)  Consolidated $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353    Pre-tax Income (Loss)  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 24,417 $ 40,277 $ 34,237  Standard Commercial Segment 8,866 6,687 4,595  Personal Segment (6,839) (885) 1,226  Corporate (17,966) (14,193) (21,276)  Consolidated $ 8,478 $ 31,886 $ 18,782 
Schedule of Segment Reporting Additional Information by Segment	The following is additional business segment information as of the following dates (in thousands):      December 31  2016 2015  Assets  Specialty Commercial Segment $ 734,763 $ 660,263  Standard Commercial Segment 164,295 156,722  Personal Segment 241,686 239,632  Corporate 21,716 18,930  Consolidated $ 1,162,460 $ 1,075,547 

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per share calculations is presented below (in thousands, except per share amounts):      2016 2015 2014  Numerator for both basic and diluted earnings per share:  Net income $ 6,526 $ 21,863 $ 13,429   Denominator, basic shares 18,780 19,211 19,197  Effect of dilutive securities:  Stock-based compensation awards 161 194 169  Denominator, diluted shares 18,941 19,405 19,366   Basic earnings per share: $ 0.35 $ 1.14 $ 0.70   Diluted earnings per share: $ 0.34 $ 1.13 $ 0.69 

Share-based Payment Arrangeme41

Share-based Payment Arrangements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Payment Arrangements [Abstract]
Summary of the Status of Stock Options	A summary of the status of our stock options as of December 31, 2016 and changes during the year then ended is presented below:       Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Instrinsic Value ($000)  Outstanding at January 1, 2016 869,113 $ 9.51  Granted -  Exercised (70,000) $ 6.66  Forfeited or expired (174,882) $ 11.96  Outstanding at December 31, 2016 624,231 $ 9.14 1.7 $ 1,714  Exercisable at December 31, 2016 624,231 $ 9.14 1.7 $ 1,714  
Schedule of Options, Grants in Period, Grant Date Intrinsic Value	The following table details the intrinsic value of options exercised, total cost of share-based payments charged against income before income tax benefit and the amount of related income tax benefit recognized in income for the periods indicated (in thousands):     2016 2015 2014  Intrinsic value of options exercised $ 250 $ 393 $ 412  Cost of share-based payments (non-cash) $ 38 $ 157 $ 173  Income tax benefit of share-based payments recognized in income $ 8 $ 30 $ 30 
Schedule of Nonvested Restricted Stock Units Activity	A summary of the status of our restricted stock units as of December 31, 2016 and changes during the year then ended is presented below:     Number of Restricted Stock Units  Nonvested at January 1, 2016 296,571  Granted 122,770  Vested (7,144)  Forfeited (115,623)  Nonvested at December 31, 2016 296,574 

Retirement Plans (Tables)

Retirement Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
Changes in Benefit Obligations, Components of Benefit Costs, Weighted-Average Assumptions, and Plan Assets	The following tables provide detail of the changes in benefit obligations, components of benefit costs, weighted-average assumptions, and plan assets for the retirement plan as of and for the twelve months ending December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands) using a measurement date of December 31.                              2016 2015 2014  Assumptions (end of period):  Discount rate used in determining benefit obligation 3.88% 4.12% 3.86%  Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A   Reconciliation of funded status (end of period):  Accumulated benefit obligation $ (12,618) $ (12,915) $ (13,909)   Projected benefit obligation $ (12,618) $ (12,915) $ (13,909)  Fair value of plan assets 10,415 10,419 11,290  Funded status $ (2,203) $ (2,496) $ (2,619)   Net actuarial loss (4,102) (3,957) (4,000)  Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,102) (3,957) (4,000)  Prepaid pension cost 1,899 1,461 1,381  Net amount recognized as of December 31 $ (2,203) $ (2,496) $ (2,619)   Changes in projected benefit obligation:  Benefit obligation as of beginning of period $ 12,915 $ 13,909 $ 12,284  Interest cost 512 518 532  Actuarial liability loss/(gain) 19 (646) 1,947  Benefits paid (828) (866) (854)  Benefit obligation as of end of period $ 12,618 $ 12,915 $ 13,909   Change in plan assets:  Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of period $ 10,419 $ 11,290 $ 10,851  Actual return on plan assets (net of expenses) 415 (5) 760  Employer contributions 409 - 533  Benefits paid (828) (866) (854)  Fair value of plan assets as of end of period $ 10,415 $ 10,419 $ 11,290   Net periodic pension cost:  Service cost - benefits earned during the period $ - $ - $ -  Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 512 518 532  Expected return on plan assets (653) (701) (698)  Recognized actuarial loss 112 103 162  Net periodic pension cost $ (29) $ (80) $ (4)   Discount rate 4.12% 3.86% 4.49%  Expected return on plan assets 6.50% 6.50% 6.50%  Rate of compensation increase N/A N/A N/A  
Estimated Future Benefit Payments	   Estimated future benefit payments by fiscal year (in thousands):      2017 $ 884  2018 $ 883  2019 $ 875  2020 $ 862  2021 $ 863  2022-2026 $ 4,071 
Weighted-Average Asset Allocation for the Defined Benefit Cash Balance Plan	The following table shows the weighted-average asset allocation for the defined benefit cash balance plan held as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.     December 31  2016 2015  Asset Category:  Debt securities 33% 33%  Equity securities 64% 64%  Other 3% 3%  Total 100% 100% 
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis	The following table presents, for each of the fair value hierarchy levels, our plan assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands).      As of December 31, 2016  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  Debt securities $ - $ 3,438 $ - $ 3,438  Equity securities 6,653 - - 6,653  Total $ 6,653 $ 3,438 $ - $ 10,091      As of December 31, 2015  Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Total  Debt securities $ - $ 3,423 $ - $ 3,423  Equity securities 6,697 - - 6,697  Total $ 6,697 $ 3,423 $ - $ 10,120 

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	The composition of deferred tax assets and liabilities and the related tax effects as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, are as follows (in thousands):      2016 2015  Deferred tax liabilities:  Deferred policy acquisition costs $ (6,717) $ (7,128)  Net unrealized holding gain on investments (7,395) (5,339)  Agency relationship (56) (66)  Intangible assets (4,623) (5,118)  Goodwill (559) (519)  Fixed assets (1,106) (861)  Other (435) (367)  Total deferred tax liabilities (20,891) (19,398)   Deferred tax assets:  Unearned premiums 11,184 10,592  Amortization of non-compete agreements 238 298  Pension liability 1,436 1,385  Net operating loss carry-forward 319 426  Unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense 6,208 6,920  Rent reserve 247 297  Bond amortization 434 421  Bonus accrual 291 759  Investment impairments 1,419 1,120  Other 480 540  Total deferred tax assets 22,256 22,758   Deferred federal income taxes, net $ 1,365 $ 3,360 
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation	                    A reconciliation of the income tax provisions based on the 35% statutory tax rate to the provision reflected in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, is as follows (in thousands):      2016 2015 2014  Computed expected income tax expense at statutory regulatory tax rate $ 2,967 $ 11,160 $ 6,574  Meals and entertainment 81 32 27  Tax exempt interest (1,164) (1,259) (1,276)  Dividends received deduction (133) (141) (107)  State taxes (net of federal benefit) 203 176 259  Other (2) 55 (124)  Income tax expense $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353   Current income tax expense $ 1,547 $ 11,053 $ 5,746  Deferred tax expense (benefit) 405 (1,030) (393)  Income tax expense $ 1,952 $ 10,023 $ 5,353 
Summary of Operating Loss Carryforwards	The net operating losses will expire if unused, as follows (in thousands):      Year  2022 $ 553  2028 2  2029 25  2031 45  2032 77  2033 73  2034 59  2035 33  2036 44  $ 911 

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases	Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2016 are as follows (in thousands):     Year  2017 $ 2,281  2018 1,948  2019 1,874  2020 1,841  2021 994  2022 and thereafter 341  Total minimum lease payments (a) $ 9,279   (a) Minimum lease payments have not been reduced by minimum sublease rentals of $0.5 million due in the future under noncancelable subleases. 

Changes in Accumulated Other 45

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income balances as of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 were as follows (in thousands):     Pension Liability Unrealized Gains (Loss) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)  Balance at January 1, 2014 $ (1,480) $ 18,363 $ 16,883  Other comprehensive income:  Change in net actuarial loss (1,723) - (1,723)  Tax effect on change in net actuarial loss 603 - 603  Unrealized holding gains arising during the period - 3,543 3,543  Tax effect on unrealized gains arising during the period - (1,240) (1,240)  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (408) (408)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 143 143  Other comprehensive income, net of tax (1,120) 2,038 918   Balance at December 31, 2014 $ (2,600) $ 20,401 $ 17,801  Other comprehensive loss:  Change in net actuarial gain 43 - 43  Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (15) - (15)  Unrealized holding losses arising during the period - (10,191) (10,191)  Tax effect on unrealized losses arising during the period - 3,567 3,567  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (5,826) (5,826)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 2,039 2,039  Other comprehensive loss, net of tax 28 (10,411) (10,383)   Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (2,572) $ 9,990 $ 7,418  Other comprehensive income:  Change in net actuarial loss (145) - (145)  Tax effect on change in net actuarial loss 51 - 51  Unrealized holding gains arising during the period - 6,019 6,019  Tax effect on unrealized gains arising during the period - (2,107) (2,107)  Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains - (1,331) (1,331)  Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense - 466 466  Other comprehensive income, net of tax (94) 3,047 2,953   Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (2,666) $ 13,037 $ 10,371 

Unaudited Selected Quarterly 46

Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information	Following is a summary of the unaudited interim results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands, except per share data). In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to present fairly the results of operations for such periods have been made.      2016 2015  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4  Total revenue $ 90,028 $ 91,052 $ 97,618 $ 97,254 $ 91,450 $ 97,197 $ 93,684 $ 90,071  Total expense 84,039 89,565 90,442 103,428 83,761 87,922 83,849 84,984  Income (loss) before tax 5,989 1,487 7,176 (6,174) 7,689 9,275 9,835 5,087  Income tax expense (benefit) 1,915 421 2,128 (2,512) 2,346 2,899 3,137 1,641  Net income (loss) $ 4,074 1,066 $ 5,048 (3,662) $ 5,343 6,376 $ 6,698 3,446   Basic earnings (loss) per share: $ 0.21 $ 0.06 $ 0.27 $ (0.20) $ 0.28 $ 0.33 $ 0.35 $ 0.18   Diluted earnings (loss) per share: $ 0.21 $ 0.06 $ 0.27 $ (0.20) $ 0.28 $ 0.33 $ 0.35 $ 0.17 

Accounting Policies (Narrative)

Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	Aug. 23, 2007USD ($)	Jun. 21, 2005USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)segment	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Number of reportable segments | segment			3
Deferred policy acquisition costs, additions			$ 37.9	$ 32.3	$ 39.1
Deferred policy acquisition costs, amortized			(39.1)	(32.7)	(40.9)
Deferred policy acquisition cost, (amortization) deferrals			(1.2)	(0.4)	(1.8)
Property and equipment, gross			$ 22.2	17.9
Property and equipment, depreciation method			straight-line method
Depreciation			$ 1.4	1	0.7
Property and equipment, accumulated depreciation			15.1	13.7
Policy fees			9.8	$ 11.2	$ 11.5
Hallmark Statutory Trust I [Member]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 30.9	30.9
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities		30
Facility B Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Credit facility, carried value			30
Credit facility, fair value			$ 30.2
Minimum [Member]
Property and equipment, estimated useful lives			3 years	3 years
Minimum [Member] | Facility B Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Fair value inputs, discount rate			3.30%
Maximum [Member]
Property and equipment, estimated useful lives			10 years	10 years
Maximum [Member] | Facility B Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Fair value inputs, discount rate			4.50%
Subordinated Debt [Member]
Long-term debt, gross			$ 55.7	$ 55.6
Trust Preferred Securities, fair value			$ 44.2	$ 44.2
Current yield to maturity, percentage			8.00%	8.00%
Subordinated Debt [Member] | Hallmark Statutory Trust I [Member]
Long-term debt, gross		30.9
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities		$ 30
Subordinated Debt [Member] | Hallmark Statutory Trust I I [Member]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 25.8		$ 25.8
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities	$ 25
Standard Commercial P & C Business Unit [Member] | Quota Share Treaty Effective January 1, 2006 [Member]
Profit sharing payable			0.6
MGA Commercial Products [Member] | Quota Share Treaty Effective January 1, 2006 [Member]
Profit sharing payable			$ 1.1

Accounting Policies (Schedule o

Accounting Policies (Schedule of Profit Sharing Commission) (Details)	Jan. 01, 2008	Jan. 01, 2007	Jan. 01, 2006	Dec. 31, 2005	Jul. 01, 2004	Jul. 01, 2003	Jul. 01, 2002	Jul. 01, 2001
Standard Commercial P & C Business Unit [Member]
Provisional loss ratio				64.20%	64.20%	59.00%	59.00%	60.00%
Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded to at December 31, 2015				61.00%	66.10%	61.20%	64.50%	63.50%
MGA Commercial Products [Member]
Provisional loss ratio	65.00%	65.00%	65.00%
Estimated ultimate loss ratio recorded to at December 31, 2015	60.60%	65.00%	59.10%

Investments (Narrative) (Detail

Investments (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)security	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)security	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Maximum restricted level of investment upon stockholders equity	10.00%	10.00%
Gross realized gains on investments	$ 2.1	$ 6.7	$ 0.6
Gross realized losses on investments	0.8	0.9	0.2
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities	$ 28.5	$ 51.7	$ 15.3
Number of debt security positions | security	28	39
Recognized other-than-temporary losses on our debt securities portfolio	$ 2.9
Securities pledged for the benefit of various state insurance departments and reinsurers	21.1	$ 17.6
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Recognized other-than-temporary losses on our debt securities portfolio	$ 2.6

Investments (Amortized Cost and

Investments (Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Investments in Debt and Equity Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	$ 632,996	$ 563,580
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	25,992	26,122
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(4,869)	(10,873)
Total investments	654,119	578,829
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	3,763	427
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,188	27
Total investments	4,951	454
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	31,449	24,524
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	21,052	23,364
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(790)	(838)
Total investments	51,711	47,050
Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	597,784	538,629
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,752	2,731
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(4,079)	(10,035)
Total investments	597,457	531,325
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	41,976	76,323
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	66	7
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(20)	(61)
Total investments	42,022	76,269
Corporate Bonds [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	224,915	122,894
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,722	637
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(575)	(1,822)
Total investments	226,062	121,709
Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	105,220	83,434
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	959	44
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(170)	(1,882)
Total investments	106,009	81,596
Municipal Bonds [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	165,900	196,446
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	956	1,888
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,961)	(5,966)
Total investments	163,895	192,368
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Amortized Cost	59,773	59,532
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	49	155
Investments, Gross Unrealized Losses	(353)	(304)
Total investments	59,469	$ 59,383
Equity Securities All Others [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investments, Gross Unrealized Gains	$ 1,188

Investments (Major Categories o

Investments (Major Categories of Investment Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	$ 17,034	$ 14,842	$ 13,139
Investment expenses	(692)	(873)	(756)
Investment income (loss), net of expenses	16,342	13,969	12,383
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	594	670	395
Corporate Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	5,573	1,435	1,378
Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	3,190	4,727	4,400
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	5,442	5,901	5,232
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	1,320	1,288	995
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	277	148	230
Parent Company [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income (loss), net of expenses	70	120	133
Equity Securities [Member] | Equity Securities All Others [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Investment income	$ 638	$ 673	$ 509

Investments (Major Categories52

Investments (Major Categories of Net Realized Gains on Investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	$ 1,331	$ 5,826	$ 408
Unrealized gain on investment	25,992	26,122
Other-than-temporary impairments	(2,888)	(3,323)	(274)
Net realized gain	(369)	2,503	134
Corporate Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	(264)		263
Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	(86)	126	109
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	(189)	(83)	(140)
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	(1)	240	32
Equity Securities All Others [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Unrealized gain on investment	1,188
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Unrealized gain on investment	1,188	27
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Gain on investments	1,871	5,543	$ 144
Unrealized gain on investment	$ 21,052	$ 23,364

Investments (Summary of Gross U

Investments (Summary of Gross Unrealized Loss Position) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	$ 200,483	$ 291,131
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(2,760)	(5,269)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	26,355	28,890
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(2,109)	(5,604)
Fair Value Total	226,838	320,021
Unrealized Losses Total	(4,869)	(10,873)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less
Fair Value Longer than 12 months
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months
Fair Value Total
Unrealized Losses Total
Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	196,374	284,547
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(2,277)	(4,431)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	24,318	28,890
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(1,802)	(5,604)
Fair Value Total	220,692	313,437
Unrealized Losses Total	(4,079)	(10,035)
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	4,109	6,584
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(483)	(838)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	2,037
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(307)
Fair Value Total	6,146	6,584
Unrealized Losses Total	(790)	(838)
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	7,037	41,428
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(20)	(61)
Fair Value Total	7,037	41,428
Unrealized Losses Total	(20)	(61)
Corporate Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	86,592	96,475
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(575)	(1,822)
Fair Value Total	86,592	96,475
Unrealized Losses Total	(575)	(1,822)
Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	2,637	65,868
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(7)	(1,758)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	8,314	3,532
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(163)	(124)
Fair Value Total	10,951	69,400
Unrealized Losses Total	(170)	(1,882)
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	70,633	44,525
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(1,327)	(488)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	13,574	25,310
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(1,634)	(5,478)
Fair Value Total	84,207	69,835
Unrealized Losses Total	(2,961)	(5,966)
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair Value 12 months or less	29,475	36,251
Unrealized Losses 12 months or less	(348)	(302)
Fair Value Longer than 12 months	2,430	48
Unrealized Losses Longer than 12 months	(5)	(2)
Fair Value Total	31,905	36,299
Unrealized Losses Total	$ (353)	$ (304)

Investments (Carrying Value of

Investments (Carrying Value of Other Invested Assets Portfolio) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Investments [Abstract]
Equity warrant	$ 4,951	$ 454
Other investments (cost; $3,763 in 2016 and $427 in 2015)	$ 4,951	$ 454

Investments (Schedule of Amorti

Investments (Schedule of Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Debt Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost, Due in one year or less	$ 97,836
Amortized Cost, Due after one year through five years	272,190
Amortized Cost, Due after five years through ten years	114,461
Amortized Cost, Amortized Cost Due after ten years	53,524
Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost	597,784	$ 538,629
Fair Value, Due in one year or less	97,849
Fair Value, Due after one year through five years	272,168
Fair Value, Due after five years through ten years	115,248
Fair Value, Due after ten years	52,723
Debt securities	597,457	531,325
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Debt Maturities, Amortized Cost	59,773
Debt securities	$ 59,469	$ 59,383

Fair Value (Fair Value of Asset

Fair Value (Fair Value of Assets Measured on a Recurring Basis) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	$ 597,457	$ 531,325
Equity securities	51,711	47,050
Other investments (cost; $3,763 in 2016 and $427 in 2015)	4,951	454
Debt and equity securities	654,119	578,829
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	42,022	76,269
Corporate Bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	226,062	121,709
Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	106,009	81,596
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	163,895	192,368
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	59,469	59,383
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity securities	51,445	47,050
Other investments (cost; $3,763 in 2016 and $427 in 2015)	4,951	454
Debt and equity securities	56,396	47,504
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	591,778	517,238
Debt and equity securities	591,778	517,238
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	42,022	76,269
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	226,062	121,709
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Collateralized Corporate Bank Loans [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	106,009	81,596
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Municipal Bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	158,216	178,281
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	59,469	59,383
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	5,679	14,087
Equity securities	266
Debt and equity securities	5,945	14,087
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Municipal Bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	$ 5,679	$ 14,087

Fair Value (Fair Value, Assets

Fair Value (Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value [Abstract]
Beginning balance as of January 1	$ 14,087	$ 14,598
Sales		(370)
Settlements	(8,825)
Purchases
Issuances
Total realized/unrealized gains included in net income	417
Net gains included in other comprehensive income		(141)
Transfers into Level 3	266
Transfers out of Level 3
Ending balance as of December 31	$ 5,945	$ 14,087

Goodwill and Intangible Asset58

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 15, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				$ 44,695,000	$ 44,695,000
Impairment of goodwill				$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets				13 years
Standard Commercial P & C Business Unit [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				$ 2,100,000
Workers Compensation Business Unit [Member] | Renewal Rights [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
One-time payment related to divestiture of renewal rights			$ 83,000
Gain (loss) on disposition of property, plant and equipment		$ 400,000	$ 200,000
Proceeds from sale of finite-lived assets	$ 115,000
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				17,400,000
MGA Commercial Products [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				19,800,000
Excess and Umbrella Business Unit [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				7,700,000
General Aviation and Satellite Component [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				9,700,000
Personal Lines Business Unit [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill				$ 5,400,000

Goodwill and Intangible Asset59

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Schedule of Acquired Intangible Assets by Major Category) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	$ 44,384	$ 44,384
Total accumulated amortization	(31,893)	(29,425)
Total net carrying amount	12,491	14,959
Customer Relationships [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	32,177	32,177
Total accumulated amortization	(22,038)	(19,799)
Trade Names [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	3,440	3,440
Total accumulated amortization	(2,388)	(2,159)
Management Agreement [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	3,232	3,232
Total accumulated amortization	(3,232)	(3,232)
Non-compete & Employment Agreements [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	4,235	4,235
Total accumulated amortization	(4,235)	(4,235)
Insurance Licenses [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total gross carrying amount	$ 1,300	$ 1,300

Goodwill and Intangible Asset60

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Schedule of Estimated Aggregate Amortization Expense for Finite-Lived Intangible Assets) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets [Abstract]
2,017	$ 2,468
2,018	2,468
2,019	2,468
2,020	2,468
2,021	$ 503

Goodwill and Intangible Asset61

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Schedule of Weighted Average Amortization Period for Definite Lived Intangible Assets by Major Class) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets	13 years
Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets	15 years
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets	15 years
Management Agreement [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets	4 years
Non-compete & Employment Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average period to amortize acquired intangible assets	5 years

Other Assets (Schedule of Other

Other Assets (Schedule of Other Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Assets [Abstract]
Profit sharing commission receivable	$ 251	$ 228
Credit Facility B issuance costs	109	92
Accrued investment income	4,599	3,876
Investment in unconsolidated trust subsidiaries	1,702	1,702
Fixed assets	6,947	4,120
Other assets	193	174
Other Assets, Total	$ 13,801	$ 10,192

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an63

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense		$ 7,000	$ 5,200
Unfavorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	$ 7,600
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	7,608	(6,953)	(5,203)
Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2013 and Prior [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Unfavorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	9,000
Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Unfavorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	3,900
Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	5,300
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	138,842	133,464	144,996
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	146,610	147,304
Specialty Commercial Unit [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	1,200
Medical Professional Liability Products [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Unfavorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	900
Commercial Auto [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Unfavorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	700
General Aviation [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	300
Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Risks [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	100
MGA Commercial Products [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	11,300
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	53,568	55,808	55,488
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	49,857	49,571
Standard Commercial P & C Business Unit [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	6,600
Workers Compensation Business Unit [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Favorable adjustment to prior years liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expense	3,300
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	6,243	5,340	$ 5,452
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	25,682	$ 23,104
Specialty Personal [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	$ 5,000

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an64

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Activity in the Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses [Abstract]
Balance at January 1	$ 450,878	$ 415,135	$ 382,640
Less reinsurance recoverable	102,791	91,943	70,172
Net Balance at January 1	348,087	323,192	312,468
Incurred related to:
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Current Year	246,080	237,102	215,258
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	7,608	(6,953)	(5,203)
Total incurred	253,688	230,149	210,055
Paid related to:
Current year	93,067	83,132	76,231
Prior years	150,378	122,122	123,100
Total paid	243,445	205,254	199,331
Net Balance at December 31	358,330	348,087	323,192
Plus reinsurance recoverable	123,237	102,791	91,943
Balance at December 31	$ 481,567	$ 450,878	$ 415,135

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an65

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Incurred and Paid Claims Development - Specialty Commercial Segment) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2007USD ($)
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 7,608	$ (6,953)	$ (5,203)
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	246,080	237,102	215,258
Total incurred	253,688	230,149	210,055
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	150,378	122,122	123,100
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	93,067	83,132	76,231
Total paid	243,445	205,254	199,331
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	358,330	348,087	323,192	$ 312,468
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Total incurred	1,029,442
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Total paid	776,814
All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance	(26)
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	252,602
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2007 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	49,544	49,290	49,056	49,096	$ 49,654	$ 50,158	$ 52,673	$ 51,813	$ 52,141	$ 51,458
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 68
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	6,095
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 49,025	48,860	48,783	48,612	48,612	47,453	44,861	41,344	33,504	$ 18,851
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2008 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	55,864	55,457	55,425	55,157	56,579	57,923	58,143	56,150	55,617
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ (102)
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	7,367
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 55,372	54,909	54,080	53,577	53,723	51,280	44,903	37,803	$ 24,134
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2009 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	61,361	59,988	59,635	59,831	59,471	61,196	62,679	60,950
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 87
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	5,456
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 60,785	59,149	57,641	56,791	53,135	45,757	34,411	$ 21,259
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2010 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	77,631	77,972	78,003	77,593	75,695	78,089	74,187
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 1,227
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	4,999
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 75,787	74,513	73,398	68,625	58,139	45,234	$ 24,818
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2011 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	87,793	89,737	90,713	91,059	87,558	88,679
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 1,641
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	5,782
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 84,936	83,787	80,004	71,697	53,509	$ 27,454
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2012 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	116,320	115,709	111,841	111,253	106,371
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 2,020
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	7,337
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 109,060	97,680	82,066	60,923	$ 37,655
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2013 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	143,983	137,230	135,114	140,546
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 2,127
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	9,188
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 126,025	101,725	76,366	$ 40,475
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	138,842	133,464	144,996
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 6,547
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	10,049
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 99,521	73,631	$ 42,097
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	146,610	147,304
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 23,447
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	10,707
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 74,906	$ 39,515
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2016 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	151,494
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 52,283
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	10,424
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	$ 41,397

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an66

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Incurred and Paid Claims Development - Standard Commercial Segment) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2007USD ($)
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 7,608	$ (6,953)	$ (5,203)
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	246,080	237,102	215,258
Total incurred	253,688	230,149	210,055
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	150,378	122,122	123,100
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	93,067	83,132	76,231
Total paid	243,445	205,254	199,331
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	358,330	348,087	323,192	$ 312,468
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Total incurred	456,070
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Total paid	374,386
All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance	538
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	82,222
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2007 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	36,419	37,321	36,798	37,894	$ 39,476	$ 41,814	$ 42,898	$ 42,632	$ 45,280	$ 48,423
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 576
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,156
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 34,483	33,982	33,561	32,949	32,288	31,311	28,908	25,484	20,362	$ 13,883
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2008 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	39,195	40,001	40,387	41,597	42,758	45,556	46,762	47,557	49,452
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 1,826
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,246
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 36,859	36,276	35,360	34,762	34,056	32,523	29,058	25,624	$ 17,182
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2009 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	43,107	43,851	44,159	45,970	46,778	46,772	45,674	44,719
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 2,102
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	2,632
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 40,629	40,575	40,389	38,316	35,818	32,075	28,313	$ 15,242
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2010 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	42,175	42,426	43,459	43,164	44,847	45,235	45,263
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 2,252
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	2,903
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 39,706	39,115	37,166	33,428	30,957	28,342	$ 21,302
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2011 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	47,423	47,266	49,268	55,156	56,489	60,236
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 3,387
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	4,364
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 42,441	41,140	40,301	38,909	35,119	$ 24,899
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2012 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	44,272	45,990	48,222	52,554	51,998
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 5,144
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,212
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 38,526	37,191	34,789	32,203	$ 23,445
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2013 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	53,174	56,703	57,528	55,482
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 6,379
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,910
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 44,475	41,809	36,411	$ 23,123
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	53,568	55,808	55,488
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 8,979
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,531
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 41,514	37,122	$ 24,255
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	49,857	49,571
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 11,946
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	3,129
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 34,245	$ 19,085
Standard Commercial Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2016 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	46,880
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 16,885
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	2,554
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	$ 21,508

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an67

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Incurred and Paid Claims Development - Personal Segment) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2007USD ($)
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 7,608	$ (6,953)	$ (5,203)
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	246,080	237,102	215,258
Total incurred	253,688	230,149	210,055
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	150,378	122,122	123,100
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	93,067	83,132	76,231
Total paid	243,445	205,254	199,331
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	358,330	348,087	323,192	$ 312,468
Personal Segment [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Total incurred	490,765
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Total paid	475,230
All outstanding liabilities before 2007, net of reinsurance	9
Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance	15,544
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2007 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 32,528	32,528	32,517	32,272	$ 31,931	$ 31,651	$ 31,485	$ 31,252	$ 31,603	$ 28,774
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	15,814
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 32,530	32,531	31,213	32,056	31,523	31,355	30,975	30,043	27,757	$ 18,106
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2008 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 40,369	40,324	40,239	40,170	39,793	39,412	38,329	36,976	36,247
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	17,353
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 40,347	40,323	40,309	40,210	39,511	38,925	36,782	32,555	$ 20,005
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2009 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 49,891	49,772	49,694	48,930	47,977	46,244	42,092	40,436
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	21,052
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 49,853	49,704	49,539	49,287	47,967	44,689	37,621	$ 23,306
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2010 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	84,591	84,252	83,903	84,724	80,765	78,294	63,862
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 6
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	30,179
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 84,556	84,111	83,511	82,624	75,199	67,755	$ 38,643
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2011 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	86,948	86,804	86,757	87,810	77,652	75,746
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ (28)
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	31,612
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 86,593	86,217	85,533	83,497	67,939	$ 46,416
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2012 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	72,042	71,513	70,552	73,795	58,604
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 50
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	23,937
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 71,995	70,807	68,849	64,278	$ 37,860
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2013 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	60,211	60,100	59,132	55,706
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 234
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	23,461
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 59,775	58,047	54,514	$ 45,901
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized In 2014 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	6,243	5,340	5,452
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 406
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	19,275
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 5,631	4,418	$ 2,515
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2015 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	25,682	23,104
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 1,813
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	23,234
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to prior years	$ 22,281	$ 11,570
Personal Segment [Member] | Loss Adjustment Expenses Recognized in 2016 [Member]
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Incurred Claims [Abstract]
Incurred claims and claim adjustment expenses related to current year	32,260
Total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims	$ 6,638
Cumulative number of reported claims | claim	21,134
Liability For Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid [Abstract]
Paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses related to current year	$ 21,669

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an68

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Reconciliation of Incurred and Paid Claims to Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	$ 350,368
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims	123,237
Unallocated claims adjustment expenses	7,962
Total gross liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses	481,567	$ 450,878	$ 415,135	$ 382,640
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	252,602
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims	102,597
Unallocated claims adjustment expenses	3,831
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	82,222
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims	8,540
Unallocated claims adjustment expenses	3,031
Personal Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Liabilities for unpaid losses and allocated loss adjustment expense, net of reinsurance	15,544
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims	12,100
Unallocated claims adjustment expenses	$ 1,100

Reserves for Unpaid Losses an69

Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Average Annual Percentage Payout of Incurred Claims) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year one	32.40%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year two	24.80%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year three	17.40%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year four	12.00%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year five	6.00%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year six	1.20%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year seven	1.20%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year eight	1.50%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year nine	0.50%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year ten	(0.30%)
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year one	44.60%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year two	23.00%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year three	8.70%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year four	6.60%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year five	5.00%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year six	3.30%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year seven	1.30%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year eight	1.40%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year nine	1.30%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year ten	(1.40%)
Personal Segment [Member]
Causes of Increase (Decrease) in Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Line Items]
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year one	51.50%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year two	29.20%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year three	10.90%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year four	4.30%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year five	1.40%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year six	0.80%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year seven	0.70%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year eight	(0.70%)
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year nine	1.90%
Average annual percentage payout of incurred claims, year ten	0.00%

Reinsurance (Narrative) (Detail

Reinsurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Reinsurance [Abstract]
Paid loss recoverable	$ 24.4	$ 11.1

Reinsurance (Schedule of Reinsu

Reinsurance (Schedule of Reinsurance Ceded and Recoveries) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Premium Written :
Direct	$ 549,077	$ 514,223	$ 473,233
Assumed			(15)
Ceded premiums written	(187,248)	(157,279)	(148,866)
Net premiums written	361,829	356,944	324,352
Premium Earned:
Direct	524,229	494,643	461,367
Assumed			327
Ceded	(170,859)	(145,562)	(140,477)
Premiums Earned, Net, Property and Casualty	353,370	349,081	321,217
Reinsurance recoveries	$ 116,057	$ 89,892	$ 99,911

Revolving Credit Facility and72

Revolving Credit Facility and Notes Payable (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2016	Dec. 17, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 15,000,000
Debt instrument, description of variable rate basis			prime rate or LIBOR plus 2.5%
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage			0.25%
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding			$ 0
Facility B Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 30,000,000
Debt instrument, description of variable rate basis			prime rate or LIBOR plus 3.00%
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage			0.25%
Line of credit facility, commitment fee amount	$ 30,000	$ 75,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding			$ 30,000,000
Line of credit facility, expiration date			Dec. 17, 2018
Letters of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 5,000,000
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage			1.00%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate			2.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Facility B Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate			3.00%

Subordinated Debt Securities (N

Subordinated Debt Securities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Aug. 23, 2007	Jun. 21, 2005	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 15, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Subordinated Debt [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross			$ 55.7		$ 55.6
Hallmark Statutory Trust I [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 30.9	$ 30.9
Debt instrument, maturity date		Jun. 15, 2035
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities		$ 30
Proceeds from issuance of common stock		$ 0.9
Subordinated borrowing, interest rate			4.21%	7.725%
Debt instrument interest rate fixed to floating date		Jun. 15, 2015
Debt instrument, description of variable rate basis			interest adjusts quarterly to the three-month LIBOR rate plus 3.25 percentage points
Hallmark Statutory Trust I [Member] | Subordinated Debt [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 30.9
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities		$ 30
Hallmark Statutory Trust I I [Member] | Subordinated Debt [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 25.8		$ 25.8
Debt instrument, maturity date			Sep. 15, 2037
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities	25
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	$ 0.8
Subordinated borrowing, interest rate			8.28%
Debt instrument interest rate fixed to floating date			Sep. 15, 2017
Debt instrument, description of variable rate basis			three-month LIBOR rate plus 2.90 percentage points
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Hallmark Statutory Trust I [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate			3.25%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Hallmark Statutory Trust I I [Member] | Subordinated Debt [Member]
Subordinated Borrowing [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate			2.90%

Segment Information (Narrative)

Segment Information (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
American Hallmark Insurance Company [Member]
Net premiums written, percentage	34.00%
Hallmark Insurance Company (Payer) [Member]
Net premiums written, percentage	32.00%
Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company [Member]
Net premiums written, percentage	24.00%
Hallmark National Insurance Company [Member]
Net premiums written, percentage	10.00%

Segment Information (Schedule o

Segment Information (Schedule of Segment Reporting, by Segment) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Revenues	$ 97,254	$ 97,618	$ 91,052	$ 90,028	$ 90,071	$ 93,684	$ 97,197	$ 91,450	$ 375,952	$ 372,402	$ 337,366
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									3,894	3,516	3,224
Interest Expense
Interest Expense									4,549	3,906	4,576
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ (2,512)	$ 2,128	$ 421	$ 1,915	$ 1,641	$ 3,137	$ 2,899	$ 2,346	1,952	10,023	5,353
Pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest:
Consolidated pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest									8,478	31,886	18,782
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Revenues
Revenues									255,897	249,910	241,920
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									2,579	2,537	2,503
Interest Expense
Interest Expense
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)									7,886	11,609	9,690
Pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest:
Consolidated pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest									24,417	40,277	34,237
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Revenues
Revenues									71,966	76,864	81,464
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									101	136	183
Interest Expense
Interest Expense
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)									3,011	1,436	622
Pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest:
Consolidated pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest									8,866	6,687	4,595
Personal Segment [Member]
Revenues
Revenues									49,826	45,538	20,404
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									1,070	779	515
Interest Expense
Interest Expense
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)									(3,821)	(1,345)	(574)
Pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest:
Consolidated pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest									(6,839)	(885)	1,226
Corporate [Member]
Revenues
Revenues									(1,737)	90	(6,422)
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									144	64	23
Interest Expense
Interest Expense									4,549	3,906	4,576
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)									(5,124)	(1,677)	(4,385)
Pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest:
Consolidated pre-tax income (loss), net of non-controlling interest									(17,966)	(14,193)	(21,276)
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues
Revenues									21,281	18,173	17,747
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and Amortization Expense									148	65	68
Interest Expense
Interest Expense									4,549	3,906	4,576
Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense (benefit)									$ (1,315)	$ (1,273)	$ (1,623)

Segment Information (Schedule76

Segment Information (Schedule of Segment Reporting Additional Information by Segment) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets	$ 1,162,460	$ 1,075,547
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Assets	734,763	660,263
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Assets	164,295	156,722
Personal Segment [Member]
Assets	241,686	239,632
Corporate [Member]
Assets	21,716	18,930
Parent Company [Member]
Assets	$ 379,079	$ 374,160

Earnings Per Share (Narrative)

Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	272,500	267,500	544,999

Earnings Per Share (Schedule of

Earnings Per Share (Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Numerator for both basic and diluted earnings per share:
Net income (loss) attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.									$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Denominator, basic shares									18,780	19,211	19,197
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock-based compensation awards									161	194	169
Denominator, diluted shares									18,941	19,405	19,366
Basic earnings per share: (in dollars per share)	$ (0.20)	$ 0.27	$ 0.06	$ 0.21	$ 0.18	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.28	$ 0.35	$ 1.14	$ 0.70
Diluted earnings per share: (in dollars per share)	$ (0.20)	$ 0.27	$ 0.06	$ 0.21	$ 0.17	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.28	$ 0.34	$ 1.13	$ 0.69

Regulatory Capital Restrictio79

Regulatory Capital Restrictions (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Retained earnings, unappropriated	$ 68.4
Aggregate amount of shareholder dividends, maximum available next current fiscal year	19.4
Hallmark (Payee) [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Dividends paid by subsidiaries	10.5	$ 8
Hallmark Insurance Company (Payer) [Member] | Hallmark (Payee) [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Insurance agency management fee	$ 1.1	1.3	$ 1.1
Subsidiaries [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Future Dividend Payments Restrictions	lesser of 10% of prior year policyholders' surplus or prior year's net investment income
Aggregate amount of shareholder dividends, maximum available next current fiscal year	$ 28
American Hallmark Insurance Company and Texas Builders Insurance Company [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Future Dividend Payments Restrictions	greater of statutory net income for the prior calendar year or 10% of statutory policyholders' surplus as of the prior year end
Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Future Dividend Payments Restrictions	greater of 10% of prior year policyholders' surplus or prior year's statutory net income, not including realized capital gains
Hallmark Insurance Company Subsidiaries [Member]
Regulatory Capital Restrictions [Line Items]
Amount of restricted net assets for consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries	$ 197.3
Statutory accounting practices, statutory capital and surplus, balance	248.4	247.2
Statutory accounting practices, statutory net income amount	$ 8.7	$ 24.6	$ 22.3

Share-based Payment Arrangeme80

Share-based Payment Arrangements (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands

Jul. 22, 2016

Apr. 01, 2016

May 29, 2015

Apr. 01, 2015

Sep. 08, 2014

Apr. 10, 2013

Jul. 27, 2012

Jun. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock options, Granted

0

0

0

Options contractual term

1 year 8 months 12 days

Other than options, granted

7,144

8,616

Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, incentive stock options to purchase number of shares

335,074

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, non-qualified stock options to purchase number of shares

289,157

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, restricted stock options to purchase number of shares

151,901

Long Term Incentive Plan 2015 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares authorized

2,000,000

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, restricted stock options to purchase number of shares

292,961

Stock options, Granted

0

Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 and 2015 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested awards

$ 0

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

5 years

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

10 years

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | First Anniversary [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Percentage

10.00%

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | Second Anniversary [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Percentage

20.00%

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | Third Anniversary [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Percentage

30.00%

Prior to 2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | Fourth Anniversary [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Percentage

40.00%

2009 Incentive Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

10 years

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights

vest in equal annual increments on each of the first seven anniversary dates

Incentive Stock Options 2010 [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | 25,000 Grant [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

10 years

Share-based compensation arrangement by share based payment award options vested and expected to vest number

25,000

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights

vests in equal annual increments on each of the first three anniversary dates

Non Qualified Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage

100.00%

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

10 years

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting period

6 months

Non Qualified Stock Options [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | 200,000 Grant [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Stock-based compensation incentive stock options grant under incentive plan termination period

10 years

Share-based compensation arrangement by share based payment award options vested and expected to vest number

200,000

Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights

vests in equal annual increments on each of the first seven anniversary dates

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Allocated share-based compensation expense

$ 226

$ 49

Allocated share based compensation benefit

$ 156

Income tax benefit of share-based payments recognized in income

$ 79

$ 17

Income tax expense of share-based payments recognized in income

$ 55

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Minimum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Percentage of restricted stock units granted as result of meeting growth rates

50.00%

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Maximum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Percentage of restricted stock units granted as result of meeting growth rates

150.00%

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Other than options, granted

175,983

122,823

129,463

122,770

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period

7,144

8,616

7,144

Other than options, forfeited

9,280

115,623

Vested

7,144

8,616

7,144

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2015 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Other than options, granted

122,770

103,351

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 and 2015 [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested awards

$ 141

Employee Service Share-based Compensation Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not Yet Recognized Next Twelve Months

80

Employee Service Share-based Compensation Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Expected to Recognize During Remainder of Year Two

50

Employee Service Share-based Compensation Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Expected to Recognize During Remainder of Year Three

$ 11

Other than options granted, weighted average grant date fair value

$ 11.41

$ 11.10

$ 9.66

$ 9.20

Share-based Payment Arrangeme81

Share-based Payment Arrangements (Summary of the Status of Stock Options) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Payment Arrangements [Abstract]
Stock options, Outstanding at January 1, 2016	869,113
Stock options, Granted	0	0	0
Stock options, exercised (in shares)	(70,000)
Stock options, forfeited or expired	(174,882)
Stock options, Outstanding at December 31, 2016	624,231	869,113
Stock options, Exercisable at December 31, 2016	624,231
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding at January 1, 2016	$ 9.51
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercised	6.66
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Forfeited or expired	11.96
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding at December 31, 2016	9.14	$ 9.51
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable at December 31, 2016	$ 9.14
Average Remaining Contractual Term, Outstanding at December 31, 2016 (in years)	1 year 8 months 12 days
Average Remaining Contractual Term, Exercisable at December 31, 2016 (in years)	1 year 8 months 12 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding at December 31, 2016	$ 1,714
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable at December 31, 2016	$ 1,714

Share-based Payment Arrangeme82

Share-based Payment Arrangements (Schedule of Options, Grants in Period, Grant Date Intrinsic Value) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Cost of share-based payments (non-cash)	$ (118)	$ 383	$ 222
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Intrinsic value of options exercised	250	393	412
Cost of share-based payments (non-cash)	38	157	173
Income tax benefit of share-based payments recognized in income	$ 8	$ 30	$ 30

Share-based Payment Arrangeme83

Share-based Payment Arrangements (Schedule of Nonvested Restricted Stock Units Activity) (Details) - shares	Apr. 01, 2016	Apr. 01, 2015	Sep. 08, 2014	Apr. 10, 2013	Jul. 27, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted	7,144	8,616
Long Term Incentive Plan 2005 [Member] | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Nonvested at January 1, 2015							296,571
Granted			175,983	122,823	129,463		122,770
Vested	(7,144)	(8,616)					(7,144)
Forfeited						(9,280)	(115,623)
Nonvested at December 31, 2015							296,574

Retirement Plans (Narrative) (D

Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		$ 10,415	$ 10,419	$ 11,290	$ 10,851
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents		$ 10,091	$ 10,120
Favorable rate of return equal to or greater than average inflation rate		5.00%
Investment objective achievement period		60 years
Single stock issue restricted among total portfolio value		5.00%
Securities held in mutual or commingled funds		90.00%
Expected return on plan assets		6.50%	6.50%	6.50%
Net periodic pension cost		$ (29)	$ (80)	$ (4)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		512	518	532
Defined benefit plan, expected return on plan assets		(653)	(701)	(698)
Defined contribution plan, employer discretionary contribution amount		400	300	$ 300
Scenario, Forecast for 2017 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net periodic pension cost	$ (63)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	444
Defined benefit plan, expected return on plan assets	(649)
Defined benefit plan, amortization of losses (gains)	$ 142
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets		300	300
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents		$ 6,653	6,697
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations range, minimum		45.00%
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations range, maximum		75.00%
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents		$ 3,438	$ 3,423
Standard Commercial P & C Business Unit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Minimum hours of service to participate within defined benefit plan		1000 hours

Retirement Plans (Changes in Be

Retirement Plans (Changes in Benefit Obligations, Components of Benefit Costs, Weighted-Average Assumptions, and Plan Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assumptions (end of period):
Discount rate used in determining benefit obligation	3.88%	4.12%	3.86%
Reconciliation of funded status (end of period):
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ (12,618)	$ (12,915)	$ (13,909)
Projected benefit obligation	(12,618)	(12,915)	(13,909)
Fair value of plan assets	10,415	10,419	11,290
Defined benefit plan, funded status of plan, total	(2,203)	(2,496)	(2,619)
Net actuarial loss	(4,102)	(3,957)	(4,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4,102)	(3,957)	(4,000)
Prepaid pension cost	1,899	1,461	1,381
Net amount recognized as of December 31	(2,203)	(2,496)	(2,619)
Changes in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation as of beginning of period	12,915	13,909	12,284
Interest cost	512	518	532
Actuarial liability loss	19	(646)	1,947
Benefits paid	(828)	(866)	(854)
Benefit obligation as of end of period	12,618	12,915	13,909
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of period	10,419	11,290	10,851
Actual return on plan assets (net of expenses)	415	(5)	760
Employer contributions	409		533
Benefits paid	828	866	854
Fair value of plan assets as of end of period	10,415	10,419	11,290
Net periodic pension cost:
Service cost - benefits earned during the period
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	512	518	532
Expected return on plan assets	(653)	(701)	(698)
Recognized actuarial loss	112	103	162
Net periodic pension cost	$ (29)	$ (80)	$ (4)
Discount rate	4.12%	3.86%	4.49%
Expected return on plan assets	6.50%	6.50%	6.50%

Retirement Plans (Estimated Fut

Retirement Plans (Estimated Future Benefit Payments) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
2,017	$ 884
2,018	883
2,019	875
2,020	862
2,021	863
2022-2026	$ 4,071

Retirement Plans (Weighted-Aver

Retirement Plans (Weighted-Average Asset Allocation for the Defined Benefit Cash Balance Plan) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	33.00%	33.00%
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	64.00%	64.00%
Other Liabilities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	3.00%	3.00%

Retirement Plans (Schedule of F

Retirement Plans (Schedule of Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	$ 10,091	$ 10,120
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	3,438	3,423
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	6,653	6,697
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	6,653	6,697
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	6,653	6,697
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	3,438	3,423
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,438	$ 3,423

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Detai

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Operating loss carryforwards	$ 911
Income tax carryback period	2 years
Income tax carryforward period	20 years
Uncertain tax positions	$ 0

Income Taxes (Schedule of Defer

Income Taxes (Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred tax liabilities:
Deferred policy acquisition costs	$ (6,717)	$ (7,128)
Net unrealized holding gain on investments	(7,395)	(5,339)
Agency relationship	(56)	(66)
Intangible assets	(4,623)	(5,118)
Goodwill	(559)	(519)
Fixed assets	(1,106)	(861)
Other	(435)	(367)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(20,891)	(19,398)
Deferred tax assets:
Unearned premiums	11,184	10,592
Amortization of non-compete agreements	238	298
Pension liability	1,436	1,385
Net operating loss carry-forward	319	426
Unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense	6,208	6,920
Rent reserve	247	297
Bond amortization	434	421
Bonus accrual	291	759
Investment impairments	1,419	1,120
Other	480	540
Total deferred tax assets	22,256	22,758
Deferred federal income taxes, net	$ 1,365	$ 3,360

Income Taxes (Schedule of Effec

Income Taxes (Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Computed expected income tax expense (benefit) at statutory regulatory tax rate									$ 2,967	$ 11,160	$ 6,574
Meals and entertainment									81	32	27
Tax exempt interest									(1,164)	(1,259)	(1,276)
Dividends received deduction									(133)	(141)	(107)
State taxes (net of federal benefit)									203	176	259
Other									(2)	55	(124)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ (2,512)	$ 2,128	$ 421	$ 1,915	$ 1,641	$ 3,137	$ 2,899	$ 2,346	1,952	10,023	5,353
Current income tax (benefit) expense									1,547	11,053	5,746
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)									405	(1,030)	(393)
Income tax (benefit) expense	$ (2,512)	$ 2,128	$ 421	$ 1,915	$ 1,641	$ 3,137	$ 2,899	$ 2,346	$ 1,952	$ 10,023	$ 5,353

Income Taxes (Summary of Operat

Income Taxes (Summary of Operating Loss Carryforwards) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Net Operating Loss	$ 911
Operating Loss Expires In 2022 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	553
Operating Loss Expires In 2028 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	2
Operating Loss Expires in 2029 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	25
Operating Loss Expires In 2031 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	45
Operating Loss Expires In 2032 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	77
Operating Loss Expires In 2033 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	73
Operating Loss Expires In 2034 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	59
Operating Loss Expires in 2035 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	33
Operating Loss Expires in 2036 [Member]
Net Operating Loss	$ 44

Commitments and Contingencies93

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Operating leases, rent expense, net	$ 2,500,000	$ 2,200,000	$ 2,300,000
Guaranty association assessments	100,000	$ 0
Contingent liability premium taxes	2,500,000
Contingent liability penalties and interest	$ 700,000

Commitments and Contingencies94

Commitments and Contingencies (Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
2,017	$ 2,281
2,018	1,948
2,019	1,874
2,020	1,841
2,021	994
2022 and thereafter	341
Total minimum lease payments	9,279
Minimum sublease rentals due under noncancelable subleases	$ 500

Changes in Accumulated Other 95

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balances (Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	$ 7,418
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in net actuarial gain (loss)	(145)	$ 43	$ (1,723)
Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (loss)	51	(15)	603
Unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during the period	6,019	(10,191)	3,543
Tax effect on unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(2,107)	3,567	(1,240)
Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains	(1,331)	(5,826)	(408)
Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense	466	2,039	143
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	2,953	(10,383)	918
Ending Balance	10,371	7,418
Pension Liability [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	(2,572)	(2,600)	(1,480)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in net actuarial gain (loss)	(145)	43	(1,723)
Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (loss)	51	(15)	603
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	(94)	28	(1,120)
Ending Balance	(2,666)	(2,572)	(2,600)
Unrealized Gains (Loss) [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	9,990	20,401	18,363
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during the period	6,019	(10,191)	3,543
Tax effect on unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(2,107)	3,567	(1,240)
Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains	(1,331)	(5,826)	(408)
Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense	466	2,039	143
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	3,047	(10,411)	2,038
Ending Balance	13,037	9,990	20,401
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	7,418	17,801	16,883
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in net actuarial gain (loss)	(145)	43	(1,723)
Tax effect on change in net actuarial gain (loss)	51	(15)	603
Unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during the period	6,019	(10,191)	3,543
Tax effect on unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(2,107)	3,567	(1,240)
Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net realized gains	(1,331)	(5,826)	(408)
Tax effect on reclassification adjustment for gains included in income tax expense	466	2,039	143
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	2,953	(10,383)	918
Ending Balance	10,371	7,418	$ 17,801
Parent Company [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	7,418
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Ending Balance	$ 10,371	$ 7,418

Unaudited Selected Quarterly 96

Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Unaudited Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Total revenue	$ 97,254	$ 97,618	$ 91,052	$ 90,028	$ 90,071	$ 93,684	$ 97,197	$ 91,450	$ 375,952	$ 372,402	$ 337,366
Total expense	103,428	90,442	89,565	84,039	84,984	83,849	87,922	83,761	367,474	340,516	318,584
Income (loss) before tax	(6,174)	7,176	1,487	5,989	5,087	9,835	9,275	7,689	8,478	31,886	18,782
Income tax expense (benefit)	(2,512)	2,128	421	1,915	1,641	3,137	2,899	2,346	1,952	10,023	5,353
Net income (loss)	$ (3,662)	$ 5,048	$ 1,066	$ 4,074	$ 3,446	$ 6,698	$ 6,376	$ 5,343	6,526	21,863	13,429
Net income (loss) attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.									$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Basic earnings (loss) per share:	$ (0.20)	$ 0.27	$ 0.06	$ 0.21	$ 0.18	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.28	$ 0.35	$ 1.14	$ 0.70
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:	$ (0.20)	$ 0.27	$ 0.06	$ 0.21	$ 0.17	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.28	$ 0.34	$ 1.13	$ 0.69

Schedule II - Condensed Finan97

Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 79,632	$ 114,446	$ 130,985	$ 141,666
Investment in subsidiaries	1,702	1,702
Deferred federal income taxes	1,365	3,360
Federal income tax recoverable	3,951	1,779
Other assets	13,801	10,192
Total assets	1,162,460	1,075,547
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Revolving credit facility payable	30,000	30,000
Subordinated debt securities (less unamortized debt issuance cost of $1,001 in 2016 and $1,053 in 2015)	55,701	55,649
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	25,296	23,253
Total liabilities	896,724	813,521
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $.18 par value, authorized 33,333,333 shares; issued 20,872,831 shares in 2016 and 2015	3,757	3,757
Capital in excess of par value	123,166	123,480
Retained earnings	148,027	141,501
Accumulated other comprehensive income	10,371	7,418
Treasury stock (2,260,849 shares in 2016 and 1,775,512 in 2015), at cost	(19,585)	(14,130)
Total stockholders equity	265,736	262,026	252,037	238,118
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,162,460	1,075,547
Parent Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	9,034	8,014	$ 11,839	$ 8,063
Investment in subsidiaries	363,078	361,769
Deferred federal income taxes	333	942
Federal income tax recoverable	2,756
Other assets	3,878	3,435
Total assets	379,079	374,160
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Revolving credit facility payable	30,000	30,000
Subordinated debt securities (less unamortized debt issuance cost of $1,001 in 2016 and $1,053 in 2015)	55,701	55,649
Current federal income tax payable		72
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	27,642	26,413
Total liabilities	113,343	112,134
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $.18 par value, authorized 33,333,333 shares; issued 20,872,831 shares in 2016 and 2015	3,757	3,757
Capital in excess of par value	123,166	123,480
Retained earnings	148,027	141,501
Accumulated other comprehensive income	10,371	7,418
Treasury stock (2,260,849 shares in 2016 and 1,775,512 in 2015), at cost	(19,585)	(14,130)
Total stockholders equity	265,736	262,026
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 379,079	$ 374,160

Schedule II - Condensed Finan98

Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) (Balance Sheet Extra) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Unamortized debt issuance cost (in dollars)	$ 1,001	$ 1,053
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.18
Common stock, authorized shares	33,333,333	33,333,333
Common stock, issued shares	20,872,831	20,872,831
Treasury stock, shares	2,260,849	1,775,512
Parent Company [Member]
Unamortized debt issuance cost (in dollars)	$ 1,001	$ 1,053
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.18
Common stock, authorized shares	33,333,333	33,333,333
Common stock, issued shares	20,872,831	20,872,831
Treasury stock, shares	2,260,849	1,775,512

Schedule II - Condensed Finan99

Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) (Comprehensive (loss) Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Investment loss, net of expenses									$ 16,342	$ 13,969	$ 12,383
Management fee income									4,977	5,952	5,279
Total revenues	$ 97,254	$ 97,618	$ 91,052	$ 90,028	$ 90,071	$ 93,684	$ 97,197	$ 91,450	375,952	372,402	337,366
Interest expense									4,549	3,906	4,576
Amortization of intangible assets									2,468	2,468	2,526
Loss before equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries and income tax benefit	(6,174)	7,176	1,487	5,989	5,087	9,835	9,275	7,689	8,478	31,886	18,782
Income tax benefit	$ (2,512)	$ 2,128	$ 421	$ 1,915	$ 1,641	$ 3,137	$ 2,899	$ 2,346	1,952	10,023	5,353
Net income (loss) attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.									6,526	21,863	13,429
Parent Company [Member]
Investment loss, net of expenses									70	120	133
Dividend income from subsidiaries									10,500	8,000	8,000
Management fee income									10,711	10,053	9,614
Total revenues									21,281	18,173	17,747
Operating expenses									9,878	10,222	9,759
Interest expense									4,549	3,906	4,576
Operating Costs and Expenses									14,427	14,128	14,335
Loss before equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries and income tax benefit									6,854	4,045	3,412
Income tax benefit									(1,315)	(1,273)	(1,623)
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries									8,169	5,318	5,035
Equity in undistributed share of earnings (loss) in subsidiaries									(1,643)	16,545	8,394
Net income (loss) attributable to Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.									6,526	21,863	13,429
Comprehensive income (loss)									$ 9,479	$ 11,480	$ 14,347

Schedule II - Condensed Fina100

Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ (3,662)	$ 5,048	$ 1,066	$ 4,074	$ 3,446	$ 6,698	$ 6,376	$ 5,343	$ 6,526	$ 21,863	$ 13,429
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense									3,894	3,516	3,224
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)									405	(1,030)	(393)
Realized loss									369	(2,503)	(134)
Change in current federal income tax (recoverable)/payable									(2,172)	(2,747)	249
Change in all other liabilities									3,586	(1,368)	7,998
Change in all other assets									5,433	(697)	(680)
Net cash provided by operating activities									30,854	52,936	33,684
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment, net									(4,340)	(3,608)	(546)
Purchase of fixed maturity and equity securities									(241,374)	(265,482)	(188,749)
Maturities and redemptions of investment securities									186,286	169,409	146,777
Net cash used in investing activities									(58,233)	(96,289)	(42,242)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options									466	658	1,155
Purchase of treasury shares									(6,117)	(2,532)	(1,805)
Activity under revolving credit facility, net										30,000	(1,473)
Payment of debt issuance costs										(96)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities									(7,435)	26,814	(2,123)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents									(34,814)	(16,539)	(10,681)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				114,446				130,985	114,446	130,985	141,666
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	79,632				114,446				79,632	114,446	130,985
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid									4,287	3,906	4,576
Income taxes (recovered) paid									3,718	13,800	5,497
Parent Company [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)									6,526	21,863	13,429
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense									148	65	68
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)									609	(195)	183
Undistributed share of (earnings) loss of subsidiaries									1,643	(16,545)	(8,394)
Change in current federal income tax (recoverable)/payable									(2,828)	8	(3,290)
Change in all other liabilities									1,228	(7,080)	4,134
Change in all other assets									814	188	(184)
Net cash provided by operating activities									8,140	(1,696)	5,946
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment, net									(1,469)	(159)	(47)
Capital contribution to subsidiaries										(30,000)
Net cash used in investing activities									(1,469)	(30,159)	(47)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options									466	658	1,155
Purchase of treasury shares									(6,117)	(2,532)	(1,805)
Activity under revolving credit facility, net										30,000	(1,473)
Payment of debt issuance costs										(96)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities									(5,651)	28,030	(2,123)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents									1,020	(3,825)	3,776
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				$ 8,014				$ 11,839	8,014	11,839	8,063
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 9,034				$ 8,014				9,034	8,014	11,839
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid									4,287	3,906	4,576
Income taxes (recovered) paid									$ 904	$ (1,086)	$ 1,481

Schedule III - Supplementary In

Schedule III - Supplementary Insurance Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 19,193	$ 20,366	$ 20,746
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Adjustment Expenses	481,567	450,878	415,135
Unearned Premiums	241,254	216,407	196,826
Premium Revenue	353,370	349,081	321,217
Net Investment Income	16,342	13,969	12,383
Benefits Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	253,688	230,149	210,055
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	39,076	32,674	40,890
Other Operating Expenses	105,596	103,614	99,586
Net Premiums Written	361,829	356,944	324,352
Specialty Commercial Segment [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	11,961	13,501	14,125
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Adjustment Expenses	358,961	314,975	275,868
Unearned Premiums	185,634	161,730	146,521
Premium Revenue	241,890	237,640	228,823
Net Investment Income	12,962	11,524	12,643
Benefits Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	169,125	148,664	149,961
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	27,474	23,371	28,186
Other Operating Expenses	58,678	58,212	53,851
Net Premiums Written	249,072	241,775	230,638
Standard Commercial Segment [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	5,849	5,633	5,892
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Adjustment Expenses	93,793	105,971	109,672
Unearned Premiums	34,334	33,701	34,822
Premium Revenue	67,510	72,613	78,311
Net Investment Income	3,471	3,623	4,663
Benefits Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	41,173	47,071	51,130
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	12,199	4,237	3,389
Other Operating Expenses	22,117	22,820	25,479
Net Premiums Written	68,490	71,097	76,912
Personal Segment [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	1,383	1,232	729
Future Policy Benefits, Losses, Claims and Loss Adjustment Expenses	28,813	29,932	29,595
Unearned Premiums	21,286	20,976	15,483
Premium Revenue	43,970	38,828	14,083
Net Investment Income	1,276	1,235	1,633
Benefits Claims, Losses and Settlement Expenses	43,390	34,414	8,964
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	(597)	5,066	9,315
Other Operating Expenses	13,119	12,205	9,977
Net Premiums Written	44,267	44,072	16,802
Corporate [Member]
Supplementary Insurance Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net Investment Income, Corporate	(1,367)	(2,413)	(6,556)
Other Operating Expenses	$ 11,682	$ 10,377	$ 10,279

Schedule IV - Reinsurance (Deta

Schedule IV - Reinsurance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Premium Earned:
Gross amount	$ 524,229	$ 494,643	$ 461,367
Ceded to other companies	170,859	145,562	140,477
Assumed from other companies			327
Net premiums earned	$ 353,370	$ 349,081	$ 321,217
Percentage of amount assumed to net	0.00%	0.00%	0.10%
Property, Liability and Casualty Insurance Segment [Member]
Premium Earned:
Gross amount	$ 524,229	$ 494,643	$ 461,367
Ceded to other companies	170,859	145,562	140,477
Assumed from other companies			327
Net premiums earned	$ 353,370	$ 349,081	$ 321,217
Percentage of amount assumed to net	0.00%	0.00%	0.10%

Schedule VI - Supplemental Info

Schedule VI - Supplemental Information Concerning Property-Casualty Insurance Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Supplemental Information For Property, Casualty Insurance Underwriters [Abstract]
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	$ 19,193	$ 20,366	$ 20,746
Reserves for Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses	481,567	450,878	415,135
Unearned Premiums	241,254	216,407	196,826
Earned Premiums	353,370	349,081	321,217
Net Investment Income	16,342	13,969	12,383
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Current Year	246,080	237,102	215,258
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expenses Incurred Related to Prior Years	7,608	(6,953)	(5,203)
Amortization of Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs	39,076	32,674	40,890
Paid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expenses	243,445	205,254	199,331
Premiums Written	$ 361,829	$ 356,944	$ 324,352