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How to Check Car Insurance
How to Check Car Insurance
Written by
Kervin Mathew
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Adrian BennettCompare car insurance policies the easy way
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Long story short
Your compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance details are linked to your rego
They can be checked online for free. For other policies, dig into your desk drawers or emails for policy documents.
CTP insurance is compulsory and varies across states and territories
It covers people, not property, and you can’t legally drive without it. In NSW it’s called a Green Slip and must be purchased separately.
Third-party car insurance helps you if you damage someone else’s property
It can help you avoid paying thousands out-of-pocket if you’re at fault in an accident.
Comprehensive car insurance covers the most and costs the most
It protects your car even if you’re at fault and often includes features like hire car cover or optional extras like reduced excess for window and glass repairs.
What are the different types of car insurance?
Compulsory third-party (CTP)
In a nutshell, compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance covers people, not property. If a car causes an accident that results in personal injury or loss of life to a third party, CTP insurance can cover compensation costs, medical treatment, loss of income, and more.
CTP insurance is required by law if you want to drive in Australia, and each state or territory takes its own approach to it. For instance, it’s known as a Green Slip in NSW, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) charge in Victoria, a Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) policy in the ACT – you get the idea.
So, if you’re researching CTP policies, it’s a good idea to start with how CTP insurance works in your state or territory.
Third-party property
As the name suggests, third-party property insurance covers damage caused by your car to someone else’s car or property. In most cases, a third-party property policy won’t cover damage to your own car.
Third-party, fire, and theft
A third-party, fire, and theft policy offers the same level of cover as third-party property and then some. That is, it might cover your car for fire damage or if it’s stolen and not recovered.
Comprehensive car insurance
A comprehensive policy is the highest level of car insurance you can buy. Unlike third-party car insurance or CTP insurance, comprehensive car insurance covers accidental damage to your car regardless of who’s at fault.
Helpful tip
If you check your car insurance and think you could do better than your current policy, try a car insurance comparison tool to compare car insurance. With iSelect you can compare car insurance policies from a range of insurers and set yourself up with one in minutes – whether that’s a bare-bones third-party property policy or a fully-loaded comprehensive policy with heaps of valuable features and optional extras.
Adrian Bennett
General Manager for General Insurance
How can I check if my car is insured?
Before we get into the ‘how’, let’s quickly nut out the ‘why’. Typically, you’d do a car insurance check to:
- check a car’s compulsory third-party (CTP) cover
- review your car insurance policy’s coverage or price
- help decide whether to upgrade or downgrade your cover
- remind yourself who you’re insured with (it happens!).
With that out of the way, here’s how you’d typically check your car insurance.
How to check CTP insurance
Your CTP and rego go hand in hand. You can do a free online CTP insurance check for a car by simply keying in its rego on the state or territory’s website for vehicle registrations.
How to check comprehensive or third-party car insurance
Unlike CTP insurance details, which are publicly available for registered vehicles, your individual comprehensive, third-party, fire, and theft, or third-party property policy is more of a private matter (as it should be!).
If you have any one of these three types of policies, here are some ways you could check your insurance.
Search your email inbox for items like renewal notices, certificates of currency, policy documents, or even your car’s rego. And be sure to check for the most recently dated emails.
Sometimes your insurer might have sent you physical copies of your policy details. So, maybe try rummaging through your home office or console table for documents or unopened envelopes.
Your bank or credit card statements may also hold clues to who your insurer is – maybe keep a sharp eye out for the direct debits.
What should I do if my car is uninsured?
First off, if your car is registered, it’s highly unlikely that you’re driving around without compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance. That’s because either it’s included in your rego or you need it to register your vehicle or renew its registration.
If you find out that you somehow don’t have CTP insurance, you’ll need to buy a CTP policy before you can drive your car – whether that means paying your rego in Victoria, buying a Green Slip in NSW, or otherwise.
That said, if your insurance stops at CTP, you may want to consider taking out additional car insurance. Here are some reasons why it could be savvy to consider higher levels of cover:
- CTP insurance doesn’t cover damage to property, and going out-of-pocket for accidental damage repairs could be expensive.
- Weather damage from storms, floods, or hail isn’t covered by CTP (or third-party car insurance). And given Australia’s history with extreme weather events, it might be wise to weather-proof your cover!
- Being a safe driver isn’t enough to prevent the unexpected prang. There’s also the risk of theft or damage due to vandalism or fires.
- Even if you’re not at fault and your car is damaged in a bingle, there’s a chance that the at-fault driver won’t have car insurance, refuses to cooperate, or drives away without stopping.
Frequently asked questions
Does car insurance renew automatically?
For most of Australia, your compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance renews when you pay your car’s registration fees.
If you’re in NSW, you’ll have to buy your CTP insurance (or Green Slip) separately before you register your car. Queensland, South Australia, and the ACT allow you to choose a CTP insurance provider when you when you register your vehicle.
It’s a different deal with comprehensive and third-party car insurance.
Typically, your insurer will give you the choice between auto-renewing your car insurance and renewing it manually. Either way, your insurer may send you a renewal notice with details about any changes to your policy around 14 days before it expires. The renewal notice can help you decide if you want to stay with your current policy or switch to one that works better for you.
Is car insurance compulsory?
The aptly named compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance is mandatory if you’re driving a car in Australia. You can get this type of insurance organised when or before you register your vehicle.
Aside from CTP cover, car insurance isn’t mandatory. That said, it’s worth considering getting comprehensive or third-party car insurance. These levels of cover are good to have if you want to avoid paying a hefty repair bill for accidental or weather-related damage (and you’ll only find coverage for this last one with a comprehensive policy).
Can I get a refund if I sell my car?
If you sell your car and transfer registration to the next owner, the compulsory third-party (CTP) cover goes with it. So, you won’t get a refund of whatever’s left on your CTP insurance premium – unless you cancel your registration before selling.
With higher levels of car insurance, after you sell your car, you’ll have to cancel the policy to receive a refund of the unused portion of your car insurance – minus cancellation fees and other charges.
Can I get a refund if my car is written off before my insurance expires?
If your car is written off, the CTP refund process depends on which state or territory your car is registered in.
Generally, you’ll need to provide proof to your CTP insurer that your rego has been cancelled. You may then be able to claim a refund for the unused portion of your CTP – this is dependent on the insurer and the terms of your policy. In some states, your insurer might offer to handle the cancellation and refund as part of your write-off claim. However, insurers typically don’t pass on any rego and CTP insurance refunds as they will have already paid you out for the write-off.
If you have third-party property insurance and your car is written off, you may be advised by your insurer to cancel your policy, given you’re not covered for damage to your own car. In doing so, you may also be entitled to the unused premiums, and these would be refunded just as you would if you sold your car. If you have comprehensive car insurance and your car is written off, you generally won’t get any premiums refunded. Your insurer is reimbursing you for your written-off car, after all!
What to do after checking your car insurance
Checking your car insurance is key to ensuring your car and finances are protected. It could also open the door to some possibly cool savings on premiums – at least when it comes to higher levels of cover.
While we don’t compare compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance, you can use our car insurance comparison tool to check out comprehensive car insurance policies from our range of providers and potentially switch to one that suits your budget.
Get started on comparing car insurance policies!
Save time and effort by comparing a range of car insurance quotes with iSelect
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