Laid up car insurance
Own an unused car but still want it insured? Laid up car insurance can protect your vehicle, for less.

Laid up car insurance is designed to protect cars that are unused or in the process of being repaired or restored, and aren't currently on the road. It means your premium is cheaper, but you're still protected for things like fire, theft, or damage during transit.
Laid up car insurance is designed to cover cars which are off the road, because they're currently being repaired or restored. It's a popular type of cover for car enthusiasts, who may be tinkering with a vintage vehicle in their spare time.
Typically, the car must be on private property or located at a workshop of some sort, to be eligible for laid up cover. It might also cover damage in transit, if you're moving your car from one location to another.
Laid up car insurance isn't a particularly common type of insurance, but there a few policies available in Australia, including:
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Laid up cover is designed with car enthusiasts in mind, so it's a particularly good option for people who have a rare or expensive vintage vehicle, which is currently off the road.
However, laid up cover isn't ideal for everyone's situation. The table below summarises some of the key pros and cons, to help you make a more informed decision.
Pros | Cons |
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✅ Cheaper than comprehensive insurance for rare or collectable vehicles. | ❌ May be more expensive than other policies, if your car isn't rare or collectable. |
✅ Covers vehicles during transport and while on display at motoring events | ❌ Doesn't cover your car for any driving at all |
✅ Covers stolen parts, vandalism and damage at a restoration shop | ❌ Must be kept on private property or a locked garage to be covered |
Laid up car insurance isn't right for everyone. For example, if you want the option of driving your car from time to time, or your car can't be kept in a locked garage, there might be a different type of insurance which is better suited to your situation.
The less the drive, the less you pay. If your driving habits change, you just let your insurer know, and your premiums will be adjusted. Compare pay as you drive policies and you could get a cheaper premium, while keeping comprehensive insurance.
If you're only doing a few thousand kilometres a year, policies that reward low mileage could be a great way for you to get comprehensive car insurance, for a reduced price.
We analyse over 30 car insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we get out the other end is a nice round number between 1 and 10 to help you start comparing.
To make sure we're comparing apples with apples, we collect quotes for 6 different personas, then work out the value of 19 different car insurance features. Our team then does some fancy maths to get the Finder Score, taking both price and features into account.
We requested multiple quotes from over 20 different car insurance brands in Australia. We used the same driver profile, but changed the estimated mileage. Here are some the brands that offered a reduced price for lower estimated mileage.
Brand | 5,000km | 7,000km | 15,000km | 30,000km | Potential saving between 30km and 5km | Get a quote |
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$864.24 | $918.36 | $1,022.03 | $1,146.02 | $281.78 | ||
$2,442.31 | $2,442.31 | $2,534.05 | $2,717.53 | $281.78 | ||
$1,340.01 | $1,340.01 | $1,421.27 | $1,421.27 | $81.26 | ||
$1,053.39 | $1,053.39 | $1,053.39 | $1,189.88 | $136.49 | ||
$1,026.45 | $1,067.64 | $1,124.24 | $1,260.64 | $234.19 | ||
$1,785.97 | $1,785.97 | $1,853.90 | $1,989.76 | $203.79 | ||
$870.30 | $988.20 | $1,533.30 | $1,719.30 | $849.00 | ||
$1,272.00 | $1,303.92 | $1,321.80 | $1,475.76 | $203.76 | ||
$1,161.16 | $1,314.12 | $1,801.89 | $1,947.53 | $203.76 | ||
$1,094.11 | $1,237.89 | $1,696.37 | $1,833.28 | $739.17 | ||
$1,830.49 | $1,830.49 | $1,986.19 | $2,228.69 | $398.20 | ||
$811.18 | $921.06 | $1,429.14 | $1,602.49 | $633.78 | ||
$1,212.39 | $1,212.39 | $1,257.59 | $1,474.68 | $262.29 | ||
$771.20 | $875.67 | $1,358.72 | $1,523.52 | $752.32 | ||
$1,308.28 | $1,372.97 | $1,525.36 | $1,822.72 | $514.44 | ||
$1,361.98 | $1,439.96 | $1,473.13 | $1,889.81 | $527.83 |
*Quotes accurate as of 20 August, 2024. Based on a driver profile of a 40-year-old woman, living in Sydney. Car details were for a 2022 Ford Fiesta, with an excess set as close to $800 as the insurer would allow.
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