We got quotes from a few popular car insurers to see what a quote for a rideshare driver could look like. Keep in mind, the below costs are only for the driver profile we used and your own costs will differ based on your age, car, suburb and driving experience.
Provider
~Annual cost
Bingle
$3,293.17
Australia Post
$3,450.79
QBE
$4,588.38
Kogan
$5,376.88
To get these quotes, we used the following details:
35yr old male
Sydney based postcode
Drives a 2019 Toyota Corolla
Drives up to 15 hours for a rideshare service
These quotes were sourced in November 2024.
Finder survey: Do Australians find it hard to get car insurance that covers rideshare drivers?
Response
No
50%
Yes
50%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Why is rideshare car insurance important for rideshare drivers?
If you haven't told your insurer that you're an Uber driver or other rideshare driver, it may refuse to cover you for any accidents that occur while you're working.
Many insurers still don't cover ridesharing. For example, popular insurers such as Budget Direct, Qantas, Coles and Huddle do not cover your car at any time for ridesharing. Others, such as ANZ, will only cover you if you drive less than 32 hours per week.
Rideshare car insurance requirements for different services
Rideshare platforms typically offer some kind of liability cover, but in most cases, you'll need to take out your own individual car insurance policy too. Here are the insurance requirements of each rideshare company in Australia.
Be listed as a driver on your insurance certificate
Be over 21 years old
Have a full valid licence in the state you're driving in
What insurance do I need?
Third party property damage (TPPD) or comprehensive car insurance
Driving requirements
Requirements vary between states. You can see what documents are required here.
Have a car that is road registered and insured for compulsory third party in the correct state or territory
What insurance do I need?
Compulsory third party insurance (CTP)
Third party damage or comprehensive insurance cover
Driving requirements
You must
Have a full driver's licence
Have a vehicle insurance certificate
What insurance do I need?
Compulsory third party insurance (CTP)
Third party damage or comprehensive insurance cover
Driving requirements
You must
Have all the necessary insurance documents
Have a police check
Have a vehicle inspection
Have an unrestricted Australian driver's licence
What insurance do I need?
Compulsory third party insurance (CTP)
Comprehensive car insurance
Driving requirements
You must
Be at least 21 years old
Have a smartphone
Speak English
Hold an unrestricted Australian driver's licence
Have or set up an ABN
Have access to a 4-door car in good condition
What insurance do I need?
Compulsory third party insurance (CTP)
Third party property damage insurance (TPPD)
Insurance must be from a company operating within Australia
Driving requirements
You must
Have a current driver's licence
Have a criminal background check
How do I find the right rideshare car insurance cover?
Watch out for a cap on hours you can drive
A small number of rideshare insurance policies will only cover you if you drive less than a specified amount per week, often around 32 hours (we've outlined these in the table above). If you're ridesharing for more than that, opt for a provider with no limit.
Decide what level of cover you want
You are required by most rideshare services to have CTP and third party property insurance. This doesn't cover you for damage to your own car though; if you want cover for that, you should get a comprehensive car insurance policy.
Decide what you want covered
All comprehensive rideshare insurance policies should cover you for damage to your own car (usually up to the market value), other people's cars and property, floods, hail, fires and storms. However, features such as a hire car after an accident and windscreen cover, are sometimes optional. (Good to know: you won't be covered for ridesharing a hire car with most insurers but you can still use the vehicle for personal use).
Compare quotes
It's simple to apply for car insurance quotes online, so get multiple policies for a better idea of how much rideshare car insurance costs.
Don't just assume that your car insurance will cover you for ridesharing – lots don't. You will need to contact them and let them know. Fortunately, there are a handful that do. It's worth getting a quote from each of them to see who is cheapest.
Moving across to an insurer that offers rideshare cover isn't hard. The switching process is simple once you've found a replacement policy that meets your rideshare needs. I reviewed more than a dozen policies – most insurers charge no more than $40 in cancellation fees.
If you’re unsure if your insurer offers coverage for ridesharing, it’s always best to check. It’s usually pretty straightforward; you can give them a call, go online and ask their live chat or just use “command+f” to search the PDS for “rideshare”. If it’s still not made clear, it could mean you won’t be covered and it’s time to start looking elsewhere.
What does rideshare car insurance cover if I have an accident?
CTP insurance can provide cover for death or injury to a third party.
A third party property damage policy can cover damage to another driver's vehicle or property.
If you have a comprehensive rideshare car insurance policy in place, you'll also be covered for damage to your own vehicle (as well as others).
There are a few injuries and accidents where rideshare car insurance won't cover you. For example, certain personal injuries, such as broken bones, or cover if you can't work. This is where your rideshare platform's injury insurance can help.
Why you can trust Finder's car insurance experts
You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.
You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching car insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.
You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.
Frequently asked questions
If you drive for Uber, Lyft or another ridesharing service then yes, you will need rideshare car insurance. An ordinary car insurance policy only covers private use of your vehicle and doesn't cover you if you use your car to carry passengers for profit.
The exact process varies between insurers, but you'll typically be able to select the ridesharing option during the application process when asked if you use your car for business purposes.
You don't need a special business car insurance policy to drive for Uber. You simply need to select that you will use your car for business purposes when you take out car insurance. Insurers will ask you this during the application process.
Yes, if you drive for Uber or any other rideshare company, you'll need to tell your car insurance provider. If you don't, your car insurance policy might be void and any claims you make will be denied. Many insurers automatically exclude transporting passengers for money with a personal car insurance policy unless you let them know.
Yes, you should be able to claim tax deductions on your car insurance. However, you can only deduct the percentage proportional to how much you used the vehicle for work (e.g. business use). Keep a logbook of how much you worked to make calculating this easier. There are other business expenses you can claim, such as the following:
Fuel expenses
Your rideshare platform's fees
Car registration
Repair and maintenance costs
Cleaning costs
Parking fees
Depreciation on your car's purchase price if you are the owner of the car
Rental fees if you lease or rent the car
Tolls that were not covered by your rideshare platform
Mobile and internet expenses if you use your phone for ridesharing
Make sure you keep receipts and bank records related to these expenses so that you can claim a percentage of them come tax time.
The cost of this policy addition will depend on how frequently you rideshare as well as where you live, the type of car and your driving history.
Your CTP insurance covers medical and liability costs sustained by passengers in vehicle accidents while you're driving. Uber's insurance policy can also cover passenger medical and liability costs where your own insurance won't. You will need to pay the excess that applies to this cover.
Yes. A rideshare car insurance policy typically also covers you for the private use of your car.
Yes, driving for Uber or any other rideshare company will likely increase your car insurance costs. There are more risks involved so your premiums are likely to increase. These risks can include potential legal fees if you're involved in a crash or a passenger opening the door and causing an accident. You're also using the car more often, so there's a greater chance of an accident occurring. You might pay a higher premium, but if something happens, you'll be covered.
Was this content helpful to you?
Thank you for your feedback!
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by James Martin as part of our fact-checking process.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 648 Finder guides across topics including:
Car insurance cover notes are no longer available in Australia. Read on to learn why and what your alternatives are.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.
Finder is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stand by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.