How to check car insurance

How can I check if my car is insured?

You can confirm whether your car is insured online by visiting the website of your state or territory's vehicle registration department. Here's a list of the relevant websites:

• NSW
• VIC
• WA
• QLD
• NT
• ACT
• SA
• TAS

If your car is registered in NSW, you can look up the CTP insurer for your vehicle by using Service NSW to check registration. For all other states and territories, CTP insurance (also known as 'Green Slip insurance or motor accident insurance (MAI)') is included with your registration. You can still check your car's CTP and MAI with your state or territory's car registration site.

Regardless of which state or territory you live in, you must buy CTP insurance when you register your vehicle. It is a legal requirement.

How do you check who you're insured with?

To check who your car is insured with, you can use the 'check registration' site of the state or territory your car is registered in. Registration checks are free and they include:

• Your registration expiry date
• Whether the registration of the vehicle is cancelled or suspended
• Any registration restrictions or concessions (for example, charges that might apply when the vehicle is transferred to a new owner)
• The CTP insurer you are with and the policy expiry date
• the make, model, year and colour of your vehicle.

If you don't have CTP insurance or it is up for renewal in the next three months, you can use the Green Slip Check in NSW to get a CTP Green Slip quote comparison from all insurers. You'll need your driver's licence number or billing number and the vehicle's plate number to receive quotes.

I can't remember who my comprehensive car insurance provider is

While there are handy government websites to check who your CTP or MAI insurer is, the same doesn't exist for comprehensive car insurance. If you're not sure who you're insured with, you'll have to find any policy documents or communications you've had with your insurer.

A good place to start is to check your email inbox and see if you've received any letters of renewal or a policy certificate. Most insurers will send you confirmation and essential policy details by email, and you should be able to find these by searching your registration number. If you can't locate your details through email, your insurer may have sent you hard copies of your policy details. Take a look at where you keep all your important paperwork, your details may be easier to locate than you think.

If you're still unable to find your comprehensive car insurance documents, it might be helpful to contact your bank or check your statements. You'll likely have a standing order or direct debit arrangement set up with your bank account or credit card. These transactions will help you figure out who you've insured your car with.

How to check your car registration

To check if a car is registered, all you need to do is go to the check registration site of your state or territory:

In most cases, you can also call if you can't check your car registration online.

Frequently asked questions

• Are there any situations when I don't need insurance?

  Typically, no – CTP insurance is a legal requirement to drive in Australia. That said, there are some (very) limited situations when you may drive without this cover. For example, the driving of tractors or other agricultural machines in some cases. But it's very important to check your state or territory's website for more details on these exceptions.

• When does my car insurance expire?

  You can find your expiry (or, 'renewal') date in your insurance documents. If you know the name of your insurer, you can give them a call. If you don't, you could check your bank or credit card statements and emails to hunt down the provider's name.

• What happens if I drive without car insurance?

  Put simply, you're breaking the law and you can be hit with a large fine if your vehicle is uninsured and/or unregistered. Also, keep in mind that should you be involved in an accident and you don't have CTP insurance, you could be sued for any injuries to other road users.

• What can I do if I can't remember my car insurance company?

  You can use the free 'check registration' site of the state or territory your car's registered in.

• Can I check if my car is insured by number plate?

  No. But you can as part of the rego check. You can also use the VIN number if your car was made after 1989.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

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 644 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living

Co-written by

Cameron Thach

Insurance Content Writer

Cameron is the local insurance scholar at Finder. With a diverse background writing in independent education, web-3, and finance, his mission is to build helpful content and that speaks to readers in language they understand. See full bio