CTP (Compulsory Third Party) is the injury insurance the law requires to drive a registered vehicle. It pays for injuries to people, not damage to cars or other property. For damage you cause to others there is third party property insurance, which is bought separately.
This guide informs. It does not sell insurance, rank it or say which to buy. Amounts are in Australian dollars.
What does each insurance cover?
| Insurance | Pays | Does not pay |
|---|---|---|
| CTP | Treatment, rehabilitation and compensation for people injured by whoever drives your vehicle, across Australia | Damage to vehicles and other property |
| Third party property | Damage you cause to other people's property | Your own car |
| Comprehensive | May cover your car, other cars, property and theft | Depends on the policy |
Without third party property, SA warns that you may have to pay for the repair of the other vehicle if you cause the crash.
On the pages we have opened, only CTP appears as required by law. SA presents third party property as something you can buy. We have not confirmed this in all states.
How does CTP work in each state?
The type of scheme is the one given by MAIC, the Queensland regulator.
| State | Scheme | Regulator | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales (NSW) | No-fault | SIRA | Green Slip, needed before renewing |
| Victoria | No-fault | TAC | Not confirmed |
| Queensland | Fault-based | MAIC | Included in the registration |
| Western Australia (WA) | Fault-based | Insurance Commission of WA | Premium with the registration: $520.50 for cars in 2026/27, plus 10% GST and 10% duty |
| South Australia (SA) | Fault-based | CTP Regulator | With the registration; you choose an insurer when renewing |
| Tasmania | No-fault | MAIB | Not confirmed |
| Northern Territory | No-fault | MACC | Not confirmed |
| Australian Capital Territory | No-fault | Motor Accident Injuries Commission | Not confirmed |
What if the accident is my fault?
It depends on the state:
- Queensland: it does not cover your injuries if you were fully at fault, or an accident with nobody at fault, such as running off the road on your own.
- SA: it also does not cover the person who caused the whole accident, except children under 16.
- WA: it covers care for catastrophic injuries in an accident in WA, even if no other driver was at fault. Other injuries with no negligent other driver are excluded.
- Tasmania: MAIB pays treatment and support regardless of fault, to those entitled.
- No-fault states in general: there may be some compensation, although it varies for the driver at fault. In all of them, help can be refused or reduced for serious misconduct, such as drink driving.
In fault-based states, your own injuries may fall outside CTP. For health care and health insurance there is the health section.
When can it work against you?
In SA, if you breach the policy and cause injury or death, the insurer can claim back what it paid from you. Examples given are alcohol or drugs, dangerous driving, driving without a licence, an unroadworthy or overloaded vehicle, and leaving the scene. See also the overseas licence rules.
In the Northern Territory, someone who drives or owns an unregistered vehicle may be left without benefits.
What happens when you buy or sell a vehicle?
- NSW: CTP passes automatically to the buyer if the registration is current. The free number plate search shows the insurer and the expiry date.
- Queensland: when you cancel the registration there may be a refund of the premium. MAIC has an insurer finder for Queensland vehicles.
- WA: there is a proportional refund if the vehicle is taken off the road.
If you are buying, see also what to check before paying.
Which CTP insurers are there?
In alphabetical order, according to each regulator and without any rating:
- Queensland: AAI Limited (Suncorp), Allianz and QBE.
- SA: AAMI, Allianz, NRMA, QBE and Youi. There the policy is the same for all vehicles and insurers cannot change it.
- NSW: the Government has a Green Slip calculator with each insurer's prices.
Does it cover me if I am a foreigner?
We have not found an official answer for all cases. In the Northern Territory, entitlement depends on the accident happening there, and the page does not distinguish by residence. The other pages we opened do not talk about visitors. For a specific case, each regulator has a public contact.
What we could not confirm
- How it is paid in Victoria, Tasmania and the territories. We could not check the websites of TAC, SIRA, the Insurance Commission of WA and the capital territory government. That is why NSW relies on MAIC and Service NSW.
- Whether any state requires third party property. We also could not check Moneysmart, the public finance website.
- Whether insurers accept visitors. We have not asked any.
- Date of the SA page: last updated in May 2022.
Sources
All official and viewed on 5 November 2026.
- MAIC: what is CTP
- MAIC: interstate accidents and authorities
- MAIC: Queensland insurers
- MAIC: find an insurer
- SA: vehicle insurance
- CTP Regulator SA: about CTP
- CTP Regulator SA: insurers
- WA: Motor Injury Insurance
- WA: refunds
- MAIB Tasmania: how we can assist you
- MACC Northern Territory: who can claim
- Service NSW: transfer registration
- NSW: renewing registration
- NSW: buying and registering
- Queensland: cancelling registration