Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Feb. 04, 2015	Feb. 28, 2012	Jan. 12, 2015	Jan. 01, 2015
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share							$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	$ 0.070	$ 0.060	$ 0.050	$ 0.045			$ 0.225	$ 0.145	$ 0.135
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period					5 years 328 days	5 years 292 days
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)										2,865,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Exercise Price Per Share										$ 7.33
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period										5 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member] \| Vesting December 31, 2015 [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Equity Instruments Other Than Options Percentage of Units to Vest										50.00%
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member] \| Vesting December 31, 2016 [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Equity Instruments Other Than Options Percentage of Units to Vest										50.00%
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)										380,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period (in Shares)							931,456	1,115,505	952,597		910,000
Subsequent Event [Member] \| JMP Merger Corp. [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share													$ 0.001
Subsequent Event [Member]
Note 22 - Subsequent Events (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared												$ 0.035

JMP Group Inc. 10-K