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Compulsory third party insurance (CTP)

Your guide to CTP; what it is, where to get it and how much it’ll cost you.

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Compulsory third party insurance (known as CTP or greenslip) is mandatory in Australia — you must have this cover to drive on our roads. If you're in New South Wales or Queensland, you'll need to purchase CTP before you can register your car. If you're anywhere in Australia, CTP is included in your rego costs.

Getting CTP can seem like a convoluted process but that's where we come in — we're here to make it as simple as possible for you. This article will cover:

What is CTP insurance?

Compulsory third party insurance (CTP) is mandatory insurance that you have to have if you want to drive in Australia. It covers you for legal liability in the event you get into an accident and injure someone. It only covers the person involved, not the vehicle. For vehicle coverage, you'd need other types of car insurance.

For those who live in NSW and QLD, you'll need to purchase CTP before you can register your car. If your car is registered, then you already have CTP. For those anywhere else in Australia, CTP is already part of your registration fees.

CTP for a new car

If you're buying a new car and they're registering it for you then the dealership will likely organise CTP for you. This may not always be the case so it's best to check with them. All in all though, if the car is registered, this means it has CTP.

CTP for a car from a private seller

CTP insurance is linked to the vehicle, not the owner, so when you buy a car, the CTP comes with it. You'll need to organise for a transfer of registration and when this is done, the CTP is automatically brought across too.

Who offers CTP insurance in Australia?

CTP insurance is available for purchase from 7 different insurers in Australia. For NSW drivers, you can get a free quote from each of these below. These include:

  • Youi
  • AAMI
  • GIO
  • Allianz
  • NRMA
  • QBE
  • Suncorp (QLD only)

In NSW, each insurer charges a different amount for CTP so it's worth comparing your options.

In QLD, the cost of CTP is consistent across all who offer it.

How much does CTP cost?

The cost of CTP insurance differs based on your car model, how long you've been licensed, your age and whether you use your car for private or business use. For some, CTP can be as little as $300, for others it can be as much as $1,200. Luckily, it's easy to input your details just once and get a quote from multiple insurers in one go.

Greenslips 4 Earth is a free tool that allows you to compare 6 CTP providers in NSW. It doesn't add any markup to your quote, it's just a simple online calculator. If you like what you see, you can purchase your CTP policy from there.

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Greenslips 4 Earth (NSW only)

  • Compare 6 CTP insurers in NSW.
  • Simple online calculator.
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CTP for Queenslanders

CTP for those in QLD is much simpler — it's the same cost across all 3 insurers who offer it; QBE, Allianz & Suncorp. The exact cost will depend on your personal profile but our research shows that prices start around $370 for a class 1 car or station wagon. This is accurate as of August 2024.

Peta Taylor's headshot

"My CTP insurance was recently up for renewal so I had a look at what other providers to compare my options. The thing about CTP is that it's a legal requirement so all the products have to cover the same thing. This means that it's worth shopping around for a cheaper price because you're essentially getting the same product but for less money. I looked at all providers in NSW and picked the cheapest one. Took less than 10 minutes. "

Peta Taylor
Finder crew member

Other types of car insurance

Compulsory third party insurance (CTP) will cover your legal liability if you injure another person. CTP doesn't cover vehicles and won't pay to repair your car or the other person's car. For that, you have a few other options.

Comprehensive car insurance

Comprehensive car insurance

This is the highest level of cover available. It includes cover for damage to your own car as well as damage to other people's cars and property.

third party, fire and theft

Third party, fire & theft

This includes cover for damage you cause to other people's cars and property, as well as cover for your own car if it's stolen or damaged by fire. Any other damage to your own car is not covered.

Third party

Third party property damage

This includes cover for damage you cause to other people's cars and property. It does not include cover for damage to your own car.

CTP stands for Compulsory Third Party — it is different to both types of third party cover mentioned above. The names are really similar so people often get them confused.

To recap: CTP is mandatory insurance that covers you for injuries to other people. Third party fire & theft and third party property damage are both types of optional insurance that are different to CTP.

FAQs

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Written by

Publisher of Insurance

Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

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18 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    KinsenAugust 30, 2024

    Hi, I just found out that I bought two green slip for same car. Service NSW chose NRMA’ green slip. So I want to get this insurance money back. I’m really sorry. Policy No: CTN364202500

      AvatarFinder
      SarahSeptember 9, 2024Finder

      Hi Kinsen,

      You’ll need to contact NRMA directly to arrange this as we’re not able to provide personal customer service. You can call them on 132 132.

      Best of luck!

    Default Gravatar
    KellyFebruary 7, 2019

    How do I find the best insurance for a Mercedes sprinter mobile home?

      AvatarFinder
      JoshuaFebruary 17, 2019Finder

      Hi Kelly,

      Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. :)

      While we currently don’t have a specific page for Mercedes sprinter mobile homes, our list of trailer insurance might cover your mobile home. You can compare quotes from different insurers by pressing the ‘Get Quote’ button. You’ll also find useful information about how to find the right insurance for you on that page.

      I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out again.

      Have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Joshua

    Default Gravatar
    AdamOctober 27, 2018

    Hey i need a wrx insurance

      Default Gravatar
      NikkiOctober 27, 2018

      Hi Adam,

      Thanks for visiting our page.

      You may refer to our list of car insurance to compare quotes from different insurers. As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.

      Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.

      Cheers,
      Nikki

    Default Gravatar
    jamieFebruary 8, 2018

    a council bus swiped my park car. i paid the excess and higher car as i could not drive the car from the damage. im out of pocket $1200 am i allowed to be reimbursed this money through my insurance company from there insurance company?

      Default Gravatar
      AshMarch 1, 2018

      Hi Jamie,

      Thank you for reaching out to us.

      As to whether you’re entitled to a reimbursement, that will depend on the type of policy you have. For instance, compulsory third-party (CTP) car insurance can only cover the injuries caused by the accident but not for the damages incurred in the vehicle or property.

      I suggest you refer to your policy or contact your insurer directly if you’re still unsure of your coverage. Meanwhile, you can go through our step-by-step guide on things to do after a car accident.

      I hope this helps.

      Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again if you have additional questions.

      Cheers,
      Ash

    Default Gravatar
    JohnJuly 19, 2015

    I am a temporary resident. Can I claim MCIS Levies (part of CTP payment ) on my personal tax return?

      AvatarFinder
      RichardJuly 20, 2015Finder

      Hi John,

      Thanks for your question.

      For any tax or financial advice, you should consult a licensed professional. I am unaware of a situation where you can claim a deduction for MCIS Levies. However, if you’ve canceled your vehicle’s registration, you may be entitled to a partial refund. If you would like to know more, please refer to the Motor Accident Guidelines.

      I hope this was helpful,
      Richard

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