Worked quotes and renewal checklists
Car insurance renewal checklist for Australian drivers
A step-by-step car insurance renewal checklist for Australia: rego and CTP, checking your renewal notice, comparing quotes like for like, switching and paying.
Before you renew car insurance in Australia, do five things: sort out CTP with your rego, check the renewal notice against last year's premium, confirm every detail is still accurate, get two or three quotes for identical cover, and compare them on total cost including a claim, not just the headline price. Start three to four weeks before the due date. Insurers must send the renewal notice at least 14 days before expiry, which is enough to read it but tight for comparing properly.
This is the pillar guide for the worked quotes and checklists section. The interactive version is the renewal checklist tool.
Step 1: rego and CTP
Check your registration expiry date first, because CTP is part of it.
| If your car is registered in | Do this before rego is due |
|---|---|
| NSW | Buy or renew a Green Slip, comparing prices on SIRA's price check |
| Queensland, South Australia, ACT | Decide whether to stay with your CTP insurer or choose another when paying rego |
| Victoria, WA, Tasmania, NT | Nothing to choose: CTP is included in the rego fee |
If your rego and car insurance fall due at different times of the year, set a calendar reminder for each. See comparing CTP and Green Slip prices and the background in CTP insurance by state.
Step 2: read the renewal notice
Find these items and write them down:
- this year's total premium and last year's premium
- cover level (comprehensive, third party fire and theft, third party property)
- agreed value or market value, and the agreed value amount
- basic excess and any age, inexperienced or unlisted driver excesses
- listed drivers or driver age restriction
- optional extras included (hire car, windscreen, no claim bonus protection)
- payment method and whether auto-renewal is on
Worked example (illustrative)
Last year $1,180, this year $1,390: an increase of $210 or 17.8%. Agreed value has dropped from $24,000 to $21,500 automatically. The listed drivers still include a son who moved interstate. Each of those is a reason to act.
Step 3: update your details honestly
You must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation when you renew. Update:
- garaging address and where the car is parked overnight
- regular drivers, adding new ones and removing those who no longer drive the car
- use: commuting, business, rideshare or deliveries
- modifications and accessories
- estimated kilometres if the policy uses them
Removing a driver who genuinely no longer drives the car can lower the premium. Leaving off someone who does drive it can cost you a claim. See misrepresentation and underinsurance.
Step 4: decide the cover you want before comparing
Reconsider the level of cover, especially if the car has lost value or finance has been paid off. The cover level comparison shows what you would carry yourself under each option. Then decide:
- your preferred excess: see choosing your excess
- whether to protect your no claim bonus: see no claim bonus explained
- the insured value: agreed or market
- which extras you actually need
Step 5: get comparable quotes
Get two or three quotes with exactly the same details: car, drivers, address, use, cover level, excess and extras. Sources include comparison websites (which do not cover every insurer), insurers' own websites and, for unusual situations, a broker. Write each quote in a table with the same columns as your renewal notice. Read the PDS for anything that differs: hire car conditions, choice of repairer, windscreen excess, new car replacement and any waiting period for storm, flood or fire on new policies.
Then compare total cost in a claim year, not only the premium. The renewal vs new quotes example works through this, and the quote comparison tool does the arithmetic.
Step 6: ask your current insurer
With a comparable quote in writing, contact your insurer. Ask it to review the premium, check whether any discounts apply and confirm the details. Insurers are not obliged to match, but some will revise the price. The premium reduction calculator helps you test discounts and removed extras.
Step 7: pay or switch
- Staying: check the final schedule matches what you agreed. Decide between annual and monthly payment; see paying monthly or annually.
- Switching: set the new policy to start when the old one ends, with no gap, then cancel or stop the old renewal in writing. See switching insurer mid-term.
- Young driver in the household: check the specific excesses in young driver car insurance.
Renewal timeline
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks before | Check rego date; note current cover details |
| 3 weeks before | Collect quotes; read PDS differences |
| 14 days before (at the latest) | Renewal notice arrives; compare with quotes |
| 10 days before | Talk to current insurer; decide |
| Before expiry | Pay or start new policy; cancel old one if switching |
Frequently asked questions
Does my car insurance renew automatically?
Many policies renew automatically if you pay by direct debit or card on file. Check the renewal notice; if you switch, stop the auto-renewal in writing.
What if my renewal notice never arrived?
Contact the insurer before the expiry date. Do not assume cover continues; arrange it before the policy ends.
Is the renewal price negotiable?
Insurers set prices, but asking for a review with a comparable quote sometimes results in a lower price or a discount. It is worth asking.
Should I change insurer every year?
Not necessarily. Compare every year; change when a comparable policy is clearly better value for you, taking into account service and claims experience.
Sources
- Moneysmart — comparing and renewing car insurance
- ASIC — renewal and disclosure rules
- State Insurance Regulatory Authority — NSW Green Slip price check
- Motor Accident Insurance Commission — Queensland CTP insurers
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority — if something goes wrong
