Compare car insurance in the ACT and Canberra
To compare car insurance in the ACT, choose a cover level, then get quotes from several insurers for the same car, drivers, excess and valuation. Your Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance comes with registration and you choose the licensed insurer, but it covers injuries, not damage to cars.
Canberra's roads are among the safest in the country, with 9 deaths in 2025 and the lowest death rate of any state or territory. The risks that matter for Canberra drivers are different: cars stolen from the street, hail like the January 2020 storm, and the fact that so much ACT driving crosses into New South Wales.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
Compulsory cover in the ACT
In the ACT, compulsory injury cover is Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance, bought with your registration from one of four licensed insurers. For the insurers and what MAI pays, see MAI insurance in the ACT, or how CTP works in every state.
ACT car insurance at a glance
Facts from federal and ACT Government sources that bear on insuring a car in the territory.
| Item | ACT |
|---|---|
| Compulsory injury cover | Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance, bought with registration from a licensed insurer you choose |
| Scheme start | 1 February 2020 |
| Licensed MAI insurers | AAMI, APIA, GIO and NRMA as at September 2026 |
| Benefits | Treatment, care and lost income benefits for up to five years, regardless of fault |
| Road deaths, 2025 | 9 (11 in 2024), or 1.9 per 100,000 people, the lowest in Australia |
| Motor vehicle theft victims, 2025 | 821, down 11% on 2024; 55% taken from a community location, most commonly a street or footpath |
| Motor vehicle duty | Based on the car's value and its combined tailpipe CO2 emissions; new rates from 1 February 2027 |
How MAI insurance works
The ACT's compulsory cover changed on 1 February 2020 to the Motor Accident Injuries scheme. It is a hybrid scheme: everyone injured in a motor accident in the ACT can receive treatment, care and lost income benefits for up to five years regardless of who was at fault, and more seriously injured people can also seek common law compensation.
You choose the licensed MAI insurer when you register (AAMI, APIA, GIO or NRMA as at October 2026), so it is worth comparing on price and service. What MAI never does is pay for vehicle damage. See MAI insurance in the ACT for the insurers and their premium schedules; this page is about the optional cover you buy for damage and theft.
Car theft in Canberra is a street problem
The ACT recorded 821 motor vehicle theft victims in 2025, down 11%. What stands out is where cars were taken. In most states more than half of stolen cars come from homes. In the ACT, 55% were taken from a community location, most commonly a street or footpath (33%).
If your car sleeps on the street, tell the insurer; it is a rating factor and a misstated parking arrangement can cause trouble at claim time. And keep theft cover: third party property damage alone pays nothing if the car is taken.
Hail: the ACT's big-loss event
In January 2020 a series of destructive hailstorms hit the ACT, NSW, Queensland and Victoria, including Canberra. The Insurance Council recorded 68,576 motor claims from that series of storms. For a compact city, one storm can damage an enormous number of cars at once, stretching local repairers for months. Hail is covered only by comprehensive, and after an event like that the length of the hire car benefit and whether you can choose your repairer become the terms that matter.
Driving into New South Wales
A large share of Canberra driving crosses the border, to Queanbeyan, the coast or the snow. Your ACT registration, MAI cover and optional policy all travel with the car, so crossing into NSW does not change your cover. What changes is distance: a breakdown or crash an hour outside Canberra is a country towing job, so check the towing limit and whether emergency accommodation is included. Animal strikes on the Monaro and Kings Highways are accidents only comprehensive covers.
Buying a car in the ACT: emissions-based duty
ACT motor vehicle duty is calculated on the car's value and its combined tailpipe CO2 emissions, with separate rates for new and used vehicles, and the ACT Revenue Office has announced new rates for all vehicles registered from 1 February 2027. You pay it at Access Canberra when you register or transfer the car, within 14 days of buying it. Put your insurance in place from the day the car becomes yours.
How to find cheaper car insurance in Canberra
Canberra drivers have a head start on price thanks to low road trauma. These steps help keep it low:
- Compare quotes with the same excess, drivers and agreed or market value.
- Garage or park off the street if you can, and tell the insurer. Street parking is where ACT theft concentrates.
- Check your renewal against new quotes; ASIC-commissioned research found 74% of people with a renewal notice were quoted more than the year before.
- Pay annually where possible. Instalments can cost 10% to 20% more over the year, according to Moneysmart.
- Review the agreed value each year so a hail write-off pays what the car is actually worth.
What to watch for
- MAI insurance covers injuries, not cars. Damage and theft need optional cover.
- Street parking is where ACT car theft concentrates. Declare it accurately and keep theft cover.
- Hail needs comprehensive, and a big Canberra storm can tie up repairers for months.
- Crossing into NSW does not affect your cover, but towing distance becomes relevant quickly.
Common questions
Is car insurance cheaper in Canberra?
It often is for comparable drivers, helped by the lowest road death rate in the country and falling theft. It still varies by suburb, car, driver and insurer, so compare like-for-like quotes.
Are older or newer cars cheaper to insure?
Age alone does not decide it. Moneysmart lists the type and value of the car among the things insurers price on, alongside who drives it, how far, and where it is kept. Get quotes for the specific cars you are considering before you buy.
Does ACT MAI insurance cover damage to my car?
No. MAI insurance covers injuries to people. Damage to your car or other people's property needs optional cover.
Am I covered driving from the ACT into NSW?
Yes. Registration, MAI cover and optional car insurance all follow the vehicle across the border.
Does comprehensive car insurance cover hail damage in Canberra?
Yes, comprehensive generally covers hail. Third party property damage and third party fire and theft do not cover hail damage to your own car.
About the figures on this page
Road deaths are calendar-year counts from BITRE; theft figures are victims of motor vehicle theft recorded by police, published by the ABS; catastrophe claims are from the Insurance Council of Australia. We do not quote premiums, because prices change constantly and depend on your car, postcode and driving history. Compulsory injury cover is explained in our CTP guides for each state.
