Compare car insurance in Queensland
To compare car insurance in Queensland, pick your cover level, then get quotes from several insurers for the same car, drivers, excess and valuation. Your compulsory third party (CTP) cover is paid with your registration, and you can compare Queensland CTP insurers separately, so the policy you shop for here is the one that pays for damage to cars and property.
In Queensland that choice is mostly about weather. South-east Queensland has been hit by a run of major hail, flood and cyclone events in the past decade, from the 2019 and 2020 hailstorms to the 2022 floods and Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in 2025. Only comprehensive covers hail, storm, flood and cyclone, which makes it the default rather than the upgrade for most Queensland drivers.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
Compulsory cover in Queensland
In Queensland, "third party insurance" can mean compulsory third party (CTP), which covers injuries and is paid with your registration, or optional third party property damage, which covers other people's cars and property.
You nominate your CTP insurer from three licensed insurers, and each sets its own premium for your vehicle class. See CTP insurance in Queensland, or how CTP works in every state.
Queensland car insurance at a glance
These are the local facts behind Queensland premiums and the risks your policy needs to handle.
Queensland CTP covers injuries to other people, not the at-fault driver and not any vehicle, and it is paid with your registration to the insurer you nominate: to see what each of the three licensed insurers charges, compare Queensland CTP insurers. Everything else on this page is about the optional cover that pays for damage to cars and property.
| Item | Queensland |
|---|---|
| Compulsory injury cover | CTP, paid with your registration to the Department of Transport and Main Roads; you nominate the licensed insurer |
| Scheme regulator | Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC); a fault-based scheme |
| Licensed CTP insurers | Three as at September 2026: Suncorp (AAI Limited), Allianz and QBE |
| Road deaths, 2025 | 308 (302 in 2024), or 5.4 per 100,000 people |
| Motor vehicle theft victims, 2025 | 17,214, down 2% on 2024; 53% of stolen vehicles were taken from residential land |
| Costliest recent event | February 2022 floods: 196,761 claims including 22,001 motor claims across QLD and NSW |
| 2025 weather claims | Five major events in QLD and NSW, including Cyclone Alfred (132,000 claims) and November storms and hail (70,200 claims) |
Why weather drives Queensland premiums
Queensland's claims history is dominated by hail, flood and cyclone. In the Insurance Council's records, the February 2022 floods across south-east Queensland and NSW generated 196,761 claims, the Halloween hailstorm of 31 October 2020 produced 15,952 motor claims, and the November 2019 south-east Queensland hailstorm another 15,512. In 2025 alone the ICA counted five major events across Queensland and NSW, including Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred with 132,000 claims.
None of this is covered by third party property damage or by third party fire and theft. If your car is written off by hail or floodwater and you hold either of those, you get nothing for your own car. That is why comprehensive cover is worth pricing first in Queensland, even on a car you might otherwise insure for less.
Car insurance in Brisbane
Brisbane and the surrounding south-east corner carry the hail risk. The 2019 and 2020 hailstorms both struck the region, and in November 2025 the Insurance Council declared a catastrophe after hail hit more than 140 south-east Queensland postcodes, with more than 16,000 claims lodged by the time of the declaration.
When comparing car insurance in Brisbane, check two things beyond the price. First, how the policy defines flood and storm, and whether driving into floodwater is excluded (many policies exclude it regardless of cover level). Second, the hire car benefit after an insured event, because after a major hailstorm repair queues can run for months.
Queensland's biggest events for cars
The table lists Queensland events from the Insurance Council's records, with motor claim counts where they were recorded.
| Event | Date | Claims |
|---|---|---|
| SE Queensland and NSW floods (CAT221) | February 2022 | 196,761 total, including 22,001 motor |
| Halloween hailstorm (CAT204) | 31 October 2020 | 44,703 total, including 15,952 motor |
| November hailstorm, SEQ (CAT196) | 17 November 2019 | 30,923 total, including 15,512 motor |
| Cyclone Debbie (CAT173) | March 2017 | 76,841 total, including 5,214 motor |
| Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred | March 2025 | 132,000 total across QLD and northern NSW |
| QLD and NSW severe storms and hail | November 2025 | 70,200 total |
North Queensland and the cyclone coast
Further north, cyclone and flood replace hail as the main threat. The North Queensland floods of early 2025 produced about 11,700 claims according to the Insurance Council. If you live north of the Tropic, get quotes early rather than at the last minute before renewal, and read how each policy treats cyclone and flood, including any embargo on new policies once a cyclone watch or warning is current. Some insurers will not start new cover in an affected area during a warning, so the time to buy is before the season.
How to find the cheapest car insurance in Queensland
Queensland drivers can cut the price without giving up weather cover:
- Compare comprehensive quotes like for like: same excess, same listed drivers, same agreed or market value.
- Tell insurers if the car is garaged or under a carport. Under-cover parking reduces hail exposure and is a rating factor for many insurers.
- Consider a higher voluntary excess if you rarely claim, but keep it at a figure you could pay the week after a storm.
- Review the agreed value each renewal. Moneysmart warns it can fall each year even as the premium rises.
- Compare at renewal. ASIC-commissioned research found 67% of customers renewed with the same insurer, many without comparing first.
Road safety in Queensland
Queensland recorded 308 road deaths in 2025, a rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people, above the national rate of 4.8. Long distances between towns and high-speed rural roads are part of the reason. For insurance, distance is the practical issue: the towing limit, emergency accommodation and travel home benefits in a comprehensive policy matter more when a crash or breakdown happens hundreds of kilometres from home.
What to watch for
- Only comprehensive covers hail, storm, flood and cyclone. In Queensland that is the main reason not to step down.
- Many policies exclude damage from deliberately driving into floodwater, whatever cover you hold.
- Some insurers will not start new cover in an area once a cyclone warning is current. Buy before the season.
- Queensland CTP covers other people's injuries, not your car, and not the at-fault driver's own injuries.
- After a big hailstorm, repair queues stretch for months. Check how long the hire car benefit lasts.
Common questions
Who is the cheapest car insurance in QLD?
No insurer is cheapest for every Queenslander. The price depends on your postcode's weather and theft history, your car, your age and your claims record, and each insurer weights these differently. Compare several quotes with the same cover and excess to find yours.
What is the average cost of comprehensive car insurance in Queensland?
We do not publish averages because they hide the spread that matters: the same car can cost very different amounts in different postcodes and for different drivers. Moneysmart reports that motor insurance premiums rose 8% nationally in the twelve months to July 2025, so compare your renewal against new quotes.
Does car insurance cover hail damage in Queensland?
Comprehensive does. Third party property damage and third party fire and theft do not cover hail damage to your own car.
Is flood damage covered by car insurance in Queensland?
Comprehensive generally covers flood, but check how the policy defines it and whether it excludes damage from driving into floodwater. Third party policies do not cover flood damage to your own car.
Is third party insurance compulsory in Queensland?
Compulsory third party (CTP) insurance is. It covers injuries to people, is paid with your registration, and you nominate one of three licensed insurers: compare Queensland CTP insurers. Third party property damage, which pays for damage you cause to other people's cars and property, is optional.
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.
