When you’re new to car insurance – or if it’s been a while since you shopped around for a policy – the terminology can be a bit confusing and sometimes even a little ambiguous.
Take comprehensive car insurance. It sounds like it’s the full package, covering all of your car insurance needs, no other policies required, right?
But the fact is, as complete as its name makes it sound, comprehensive car insurance doesn’t include Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance,1 also known as a Green Slip in New South Wales.2
So, is comprehensive car insurance the same as CTP insurance? Or do they cover completely different things? Do you need both types of insurance? Are either of them mandatory? And where do you get CTP insurance from, anyway? We’ve put this handy guide together to answer these important questions.
CTP vs comprehensive insurance – what’s the difference?
The main difference between CTP and comprehensive insurance is what each type of policy does – and doesn’t – cover.
What is CTP Green Slip?
CTP, or Green Slip insurance, provides cover for people injured in car accidents, for expenses such as medical treatment, rehabilitation and even loss of income.3
So if you’re involved in an accident that’s your fault, CTP insurance protects you from being held financially responsible in the event that someone gets injured,4 including other drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.3 This is important considering the average cost of a CTP insurance claim is around $100,000 – but some can even run into the millions.4
Plus, in some states and territories – including NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory –even if the accident was your fault, you may also be able to make a CTP insurance claim for your own injuries.2,5-8
However, CTP insurance doesn’t cover damage to cars or property – that’s where other types of car insurance, including comprehensive insurance, come in.1
What is comprehensive insurance?
Comprehensive insurance doesn’t cover injuries. Instead, it covers damage to your car and other people’s cars or property.1
“Comprehensive car insurance is our highest level of car insurance cover,” explains Marni Jackson, Youi’s Head of Product – Vehicle and Lifestyle.
“If you have an accident, Youi Comprehensive car insurance covers repairs to your car. And if the accident’s your fault, it also covers any damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property.”
In addition to accidental damage, Youi’s Comprehensive car insurance also covers your car for events such as:9,10
- Theft
- Fire
- Damage from severe weather, including storms, hail and floods
- Intentional damage.9,10
“In comparison, if your car is insured with a third party car insurance policy – such as our Third Party Fire & Theft or Third Party Property Only policies – and you have a car accident that’s your fault, your insurance will only cover damage you cause to other people’s cars or property. It won’t cover repairs to your own car.”
Do I need CTP if I have comprehensive insurance?
Yes. CTP insurance is mandatory in Australia,1 which is why it’s called Compulsory Third Party insurance.
In contrast, other types of car insurance – like Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft or Third Party Property Only car insurance – aren’t mandatory.1
So, even if you’ve taken out comprehensive car insurance, you’re legally required to have CTP insurance in order to register your car.1
How to get CTP insurance in your state or territory
Buying CTP insurance can vary slightly depending on where you live.
For example, in most states and territories, CTP is included in your car’s registration fee,11 but in New South Wales, you’ll need to buy it separately.12
Similarly, in some parts of the country, you can choose who to buy your CTP insurance from, while in others, there’s only one provider.11
Here’s how it works where you live:
| Location | How to buy CTP insurance | Can you choose your CTP insurer? |
| Queensland | Your CTP insurance is included in your car’s registration fee.13 | Yes. There are 3 licensed CTP insurers to choose from.14 |
| NSW | Green Slips aren’t included with your registration – you need to buy a CTP insurance policy before you can register your vehicle.12 | Yes. There are 6 licensed insurers who issue Green Slips including Youi.15 |
| ACT | You automatically purchase CTP insurance – known as Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance – as part of your car’s registration.16 | Yes. You can choose between 4 CTP insurers.16 |
| Victoria | CTP insurance – known as the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) fee – is included in your registration renewal costs.17 | No.11 |
| SA | CTP insurance is included in your car’s registration fee.18 | Yes. You can choose between 5 different CTP insurers, including Youi.19 |
| Tasmania | You automatically pay an amount to the Motor Accidents Insurance Board,20 which provides CTP insurance in Tas, as part of your rego fee.6 | No.11 |
| WA | You automatically pay for CTP insurance when you pay for your car registration.21 | No.11 |
| NT | CTP insurance is included in your motor registration fee.22 | No.11 |
How much does CTP insurance cost?
The price of CTP insurance can depend on a number of factors, including where you live. Other factors that may influence your CTP insurance cost can include:
- The type of vehicle you’re insuring and how old it is23,24
- The postcode where the car is usually kept25
- What the car is typically used for24
- Your age, driving history and if you have any demerit points23
- Whether or not you’ve taken out comprehensive car insurance.23
You can find out how much CTP insurance costs by using government-provided CTP insurance premium calculators if they’re available in your state or territory, or by looking at the latest CTP insurance rates schedules:
- Queensland – CTP Premium Calculator
- NSW – Green Slip Price Check
- ACT – Current MAI premiums effective in the ACT
- Victoria – TAC Premiums
- SA – CTP premium calculator
- Tasmania – MAIB Premiums
- WA – Premium Schedule
- NT – Registration fees
Getting your head around the difference between CTP insurance, or a Green Slip, and comprehensive insurance might seem confusing at first. But now that you know what each policy does and doesn’t cover and understand that CTP insurance is mandatory regardless of where you live in Australia, you’ll hopefully feel more confident about getting your car’s insurance sorted.
At Youi, we offer CTP insurance in South Australia and in New South Wales, and car insurance, including Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft and Third Party Property Only in every state and territory, except the Northern Territory. So, if you’re looking for insurance that’s a bit more you-shaped, consider starting a quote online or by giving us a call on 13 9684.
1 Source: Moneysmart – Choosing car insurance
2 Source: NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority – Compulsory Green Slip insurance, April 2025
3 Source: CHOICE – What is CTP car insurance?, August 2025
4 Source: Qld Government Motor Accident Insurance Commission – About CTP insurance, November 2024
5 Source: Vic State Government Transport Accident Commission – What is a TAC claim?
6 Source: Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator – Investigation into the Motor Accidents Insurance Board’s Pricing Policies, 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2029, July 2025
7 Source: ACT Government Motor Accident Injuries Commission – Your MAI insurance
8 Source: NT Motor Accidents Compensation Commission – Welcome to MACC
9 Exclusions, limits and additional fees may apply. For full details, see the Car Insurance PDS.
10 Exclusions and limits may apply. Where you have increased your cover or reduced your excess within 72 hours of a flood, storm, hail or bushfire occurring, cover will be limited to the amount that was effective prior to the change. Loss, damage or legal liability caused by, resulting or arising from flood, storm, hail or bushfire during the first 72 hours of your policy first being purchased is excluded unless certain conditions apply. For full details, see the PDS, TMD and your policy schedule.
11 Source: Canstar – CTP/Greenslip insurance, February 2026
12 Source: NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority – What am I covered for?
13 Source: Qld Government – How registration is calculated, August 2025
14 Source: Qld Government Motor Accident Insurance Commission – CTP insurers, September 2025
15 Source: NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority – How to buy a Green Slip, April 2025
16 Source: ACT Government Motor Accident Injuries Commission – Learn about your MAI insurance policy
17 Source: Transport Victoria – What does my rego pay for
18 Source: SA Government – Calculate vehicle registration fees, February 2026
19 Source: SA CTP Insurance Regulator – CTP Scheme
20 Source: Tasmania Legal Aid – Motor Vehicle Crash – Personal Injuries
21 Source: Insurance Commission of Western Australia – Insurance Policy
22 Source: NT Government – Registration fees
23 Source: NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority – How prices are set, January 2026
24 Source: SA CTP Insurance Regulator – How CTP premiums are set, 2025
25 Source: Vic State Government Transport Accident Commission – Transport Accident Charge
