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.

CTP is compulsory in every state and territory, but how you get it differs. In NSW you buy a green slip separately before you can register. Everywhere else the CTP charge is collected with your registration, and in some states, including Queensland, you choose which insurer provides it.

Can you check if a car is insured by number plate?

Short answer? Partly. Running a free registration check with your state or territory's transport authority will tell you whether a car has current CTP insurance (also called a Green Slip in NSW, or MAI in some states), who that CTP insurer is, and whether the rego is current, suspended or cancelled. You'll usually need the plate number, and sometimes the VIN.

What a number plate won't tell you is who holds the car's comprehensive or third party property insurance. There's no public database for those policies in Australia, for privacy reasons. So if you're checking a used car before buying, a rego check confirms it's registered and CTP-covered, but it can't confirm whether the seller has comprehensive cover.

What a rego check shows (and what it doesn't)

How to find out who your own car is insured with

If it's your own car and you've lost track of the policy, there's no shortcut lookup, but these steps will almost always turn it up:

1. Search your email. Insurers send a policy certificate and renewal notices by email. Search your inbox for your rego number, "certificate of insurance" or "renewal".
2. Check your bank and credit card statements. Your premium comes out as a direct debit or recurring payment, so the insurer's name will show against the transaction. This is the fastest route if you've paid monthly.
3. Look for an online account. Many insurers let you log in to see policy details, documents and renewal dates.
4. Check your paperwork. If you received hard-copy documents, your certificate of insurance lists the insurer, cover type, start and end dates and premium.
5. Still stuck? If you at least know the insurer, call them. If you don't, your bank statement is your best lead.

How to check your car insurance expiry date

For CTP, your expiry date shows on your state or territory's rego check once you enter your details. For third party property, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive cover, the expiry is on your certificate of insurance, issued when you buy the policy and listing your start and end dates, cover type and premium. No certificate handy? Log in to your insurer's online account, or call them.

Checking a used car's insurance before you buy

A rego check on a car you're about to buy confirms it's registered and has current CTP, and flags if the rego is suspended or cancelled, worth knowing before you hand over money. It won't tell you about comprehensive cover, and the seller's policy doesn't transfer to you anyway. Once the car's yours, you'll need your own policy from day one.

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 CTP insurance?

  Rarely. CTP is the only compulsory car insurance in Australia, and it is a legal requirement to drive. 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?

  Only CTP is compulsory in Australia. Driving without CTP, or while unregistered, is an offence and can bring a large fine. Comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party property damage are all optional — going without them is legal, but you pay for any damage yourself. 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?

  Partly. A rego check will show whether the car has current CTP cover and who the CTP insurer is, but there's no public database for comprehensive or third party property policies.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

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Gary Ross has written 521 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
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Co-written by

Cameron Thach

Writer

With a background in writing across education, Web3, and finance, Cameron’s mission is to create content that speaks directly to readers in a way that’s easy to understand, helping them navigate complex topics with confidence. Cameron studied a Bachelor of Commerce, Economics and Marketing at Macquarie University, graduating in 2019. See full bio