CTP Insurance in NSW and Other States Explained

CTP stands for compulsory third party insurance. Queensland's regulator, MAIC, puts the scope of it plainly: it's "required in all states and territories across Australia", as listed on 4 November 2026. In NSW, almost nobody says "CTP insurance" out loud. It's a green slip, the local name for the same compulsory cover every other state and territory runs under its own name and its own rules. This guide sets out what CTP actually covers, how NSW does it, and what we could confirm about each other state and territory from their own regulators.

GreenSlipInsurance.com.au is a general information site operated by Dominet BV. This page is general information only and is not financial, legal or insurance advice. It does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. We are not an insurer or broker, we don't sell green slips and we don't recommend any insurer. SIRA (the State Insurance Regulatory Authority) is the official source of green slip information in NSW, so check its website or your insurer before you act. Facts were checked on 4 November 2026. Read our general information notice. Our green slip pages describe NSW rules only. This page also summarises other states' schemes based on information from their official sites.

What CTP covers, and what it doesn't

Every CTP scheme covers the same core thing: your legal liability for injuries or death caused to other people by your vehicle. SIRA, the NSW regulator, says the NSW scheme covers the driver and other people regardless of fault, with exceptions for a driver charged with a serious driving offence, as listed on 30 October 2026.

Queensland's MAIC makes the boundary explicit for its own scheme, listing "vehicle or property damage" among what CTP does not cover, as listed on 4 November 2026. So wherever your vehicle is registered, CTP pays for people hurt by it. It doesn't pay to fix your car, someone else's car, or a fence. If you want cover for your own vehicle or property, that's a separate, optional policy.

NSW: the green slip, in short

In NSW, CTP insurance is a green slip, regulated by SIRA. As listed on 30 October 2026, six licensed insurers sell green slips: AAMI, Allianz, GIO, NRMA, QBE and Youi. You choose which one to buy from, and you need the green slip before you can register your vehicle. The policy term, 6 or 12 months, has to match your rego term.

For the full detail on what's covered, how it's priced and how it fits with registration, see our green slip NSW guide. If you've been in a crash and need to claim, our CTP claims guide walks through the process.

Queensland

Queensland's CTP scheme is overseen by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), which regulates insurers' compliance with the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994, as listed on 4 November 2026. Cover is underwritten by private insurers, and MAIC says vehicle owners can choose their own CTP insurer.

You pay for it through your registration. MAIC says the cost of CTP "is included in your vehicle registration fees" and is collected alongside rego by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, then passed to the insurer you picked.

Queensland runs what MAIC calls a "common law 'fault-based' scheme", where an injured person has to prove another driver was at fault. MAIC itself contrasts that with "some other states, such as Victoria, which operate 'no-fault' schemes", though that's MAIC's own description of Victoria's scheme, not something we confirmed on Victoria's own site.

Victoria

Victoria's scheme is run by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), a Victorian government body, as listed on 4 November 2026. The page we checked didn't load the detail on how the TAC charge works, whether you choose an insurer or deal only with TAC, and whether it's bundled with registration. The official TAC website has that detail.

South Australia

South Australia's scheme is overseen by the CTP Insurance Regulator, as listed on 4 November 2026. Cover is provided by five government-approved insurers, AAMI, Allianz, NRMA, QBE and Youi, and you pay for it "at the same time as you renew a vehicle's registration".

CTP in South Australia covers injuries or deaths caused by a motor vehicle accident, protecting at-fault drivers from the financial cost of injuries or deaths they cause. The state also runs a separate Lifetime Support Scheme, administered by the Lifetime Support Authority, which supports people very seriously injured in a crash in South Australia regardless of who was at fault.

Western Australia

Western Australia calls it motor injury insurance, run by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), a government insurer, as listed on 4 November 2026. When you pay your vehicle licence, you're also paying for two linked products: Compulsory Third Party and the Catastrophic Injuries Support Scheme, both renewed each year with your registration.

ICWA says the cover applies to injuries caused to others "anywhere in Australia" by a WA-registered vehicle, not just within WA. It doesn't cover vehicle or property damage, or non-catastrophic injuries where no other driver was negligent.

Tasmania

Tasmania's scheme is run by the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB). We couldn't get past a bot check on the MAIB site to read its pages during this research. The official MAIB website has the detail on how the scheme works and what it covers.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT's compulsory cover changed name from the Compulsory Third-Party (CTP) Insurance Scheme to the Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) Scheme on 1 February 2020. It's regulated by the Motor Accident Injuries Commission, also abbreviated MAIC, a different body from Queensland's MAIC despite the shared initials, as listed on 4 November 2026.

The ACT describes MAI as "a hybrid defined benefits common law scheme". Everyone injured in a motor accident gets treatment, care and lost income benefits for up to five years regardless of fault, and people with more serious injuries can also pursue common law compensation. Whether ACT drivers choose their own insurer, and whether MAI premiums are paid with registration, wasn't covered on the pages we checked. The official ACT Treasury website has that detail.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory requires compulsory third party insurance, but the NT Government registration page we checked, as listed on 4 November 2026, only mentions it in passing, for example a club registration discount that reduces "registration and compulsory third party insurance" together, which suggests the two are collected at the same time. The page doesn't name a regulator or insurer, or describe what's covered. The official NT Government website has that detail.

CTP insurance by state and territory, in short

Moving a car to NSW

If you're bringing a vehicle registered in another state into NSW, Service NSW's rules, checked 30 October 2026, require NSW CTP insurance before you can register it here. Your interstate CTP doesn't carry over, because NSW only accepts a NSW CTP insurer.

You'll also need an AUVIS inspection report issued no more than 42 days before you register, plus proof of identity, proof you're entitled to register the vehicle, and its original number plates. Our guide to buying, selling and unregistered vehicles has the full steps, including what happens if the vehicle has been off the road for a while.

What this means for you

CTP is compulsory everywhere, but who runs it, who you buy from and how you pay for it depends on the state. In NSW, that's SIRA and the green slip. In other states, start with the regulator named here, then go to their website for pricing and the rest of the detail.

Frequently asked questions

What does CTP stand for?

Compulsory third party insurance. It covers your legal liability for injuries or death caused to other people by your vehicle.

Is a green slip the same as CTP insurance?

In NSW, yes. A green slip is the everyday NSW name for CTP insurance, regulated by SIRA. Other states use different names, such as motor injury insurance in Western Australia or the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme in the ACT.

Does CTP cover damage to my car?

No. CTP covers injuries or death to people. Queensland's MAIC lists vehicle and property damage as something CTP doesn't cover, and NSW's green slip works the same way. Damage to cars or property needs a separate, optional policy.

Do I get to choose my CTP insurer in every state?

Not always. NSW, Queensland and South Australia let you choose from a list of licensed or government-approved insurers. Western Australia's cover is run by the government insurer ICWA. We couldn't confirm the model for Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory, so check the regulator named in this guide for those states.

Is CTP the same in every state?

No. Every state and territory requires it, but each runs its own scheme, with its own regulator, insurer arrangements and rules for paying it alongside registration.

Do I need NSW CTP if I move my car here from another state?

Yes. Service NSW requires NSW CTP insurance to register a vehicle in NSW, along with an AUVIS inspection report. Your interstate CTP doesn't transfer with the vehicle.