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In the ACT, compulsory third party insurance is now called Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance. It replaced the old CTP scheme on 1 February 2020. You buy it with your registration and can choose from four insurers each time: AAMI, APIA, GIO and NRMA. The policy is set by legislation and is identical at all four, and every vehicle in the same class pays the same premium with a given insurer.
The bigger change was who is covered. Under MAI, everyone injured in a crash, including the driver who caused it, can receive treatment, care and income benefits for up to five years. People more seriously hurt through someone else's negligence can also make a common law claim.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
| Australian Capital Territory | |
|---|---|
| Name | Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance. Called CTP until 1 February 2020 |
| Regulator | Motor Accident Injuries Commission (MAI Commission), within ACT Treasury |
| Licensed insurers | 4: AAMI, APIA, GIO and NRMA |
| Can you choose? | Yes, each time you buy MAI insurance with your registration |
| How the price is set | Community-rated: every vehicle in a class pays the same premium with a given insurer. Premiums are regulated and each insurer's schedule is published by the MAI Commission |
| Current premium schedules | AAMI and GIO effective 9 June 2026; APIA and NRMA effective 5 May 2026 |
| Fault basis | Hybrid. Defined benefits for up to 5 years whoever was at fault, plus common law for more serious injuries caused by someone else |
| Levies on your registration | Motor Accident levy (funds the MAI Commission) and Lifetime Care and Support (LTCS) levy |
| Apply for benefits | Within 13 weeks of the accident, to the MAI insurer of the vehicle most at fault |
| Help | Defined Benefits Information Service: 1300 209 642 |
Before 1 February 2020 the ACT ran a traditional CTP scheme that only compensated people injured by an at-fault driver. The Motor Accident Injuries Scheme replaced it with what the MAI Commission calls a hybrid defined benefits and common law scheme. Existing CTP policies became MAI policies on the changeover date, so there was nothing for drivers to do.
In practice, the change means a driver who causes a crash can now get treatment and income support, which the old scheme did not provide, while people with more serious injuries caused by someone else keep the right to sue for compensation.
Four insurers are licensed. Each time you buy MAI insurance you can pick any of them. Access Canberra can tell you the cheapest MAI policy recorded in its system at a point in time, and insurers may offer incentives such as cashback or multi-policy discounts.
| Insurer | Phone (as listed by the MAI Commission) |
|---|---|
| AAMI | 13 22 44 |
| APIA | 13 50 50 |
| GIO | 13 10 10 |
| NRMA | 132 132 |
Premiums are set by the licensed insurers, subject to government regulation. The MAI Commission explains that insurers base them on the expected average cost of claims, the expected number of claims and administration costs, together with the type of vehicle and whether it is used privately or for business.
The ACT scheme is community-rated. Motorists in each vehicle class pay the same premium regardless of their individual circumstances, such as being a young or older driver. One consequence the Commission spells out: motorcycle premiums are kept affordable by a subsidy from other vehicle classes, because motorcyclists are expected to make more and costlier claims under the no-fault scheme.
The useful part for shoppers is that the MAI Commission publishes every insurer's current premium schedule, with the date it took effect. At the time of writing, AAMI's and GIO's schedules took effect on 9 June 2026 and APIA's and NRMA's on 5 May 2026. Comparing them for your vehicle class is a genuine like-for-like comparison, because the policy behind each price is identical.
Your MAI policy covers people injured in a motor accident regardless of who was at fault. That includes the driver who may have caused the injury, as well as passengers, pedestrians, other drivers, pillion riders and cyclists. Anyone injured on an ACT road or road-related area also gets free ambulance services, funded by the road rescue fee paid with registration.
It does not cover damage to your vehicle, other vehicles or other property. That needs separate cover, such as third party property damage or comprehensive insurance.
Interstate, your MAI policy still indemnifies you if you injure someone else. But your own benefits depend on the scheme in the state or territory where the crash happens, not the ACT's. If you drive interstate often, the MAI Commission suggests considering private health or travel insurance for your own injury costs.
If your Personal Injuries Application is accepted, the MAI insurer pays defined benefits. Most run for up to five years from the accident.
| Benefit | What it pays | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Early treatment, before you apply | Up to 2 doctor visits (including one long consultation for the MAI Medical Report) and 2 allied health sessions on a doctor's referral, each capped at $150 | Reimbursed with your application |
| Allowable expenses, while you wait for a decision | Up to 4 GP consultations and 8 allied health sessions (no more than 4 of any one service), each allied health session capped at $150 | Until the insurer decides |
| Treatment and care | Reasonable and necessary medical, dental and mental health treatment, rehabilitation, aids, prostheses, home and vehicle modifications, care services and travel to treatment | Up to 5 years after the accident |
| Income replacement | A percentage of pre-accident weekly income (see below), paid fortnightly | Up to 5 years after the accident |
| Quality of life benefit | A no-fault lump sum for permanent injuries assessed at 5% whole person impairment (WPI) or more | Apply from 6 months after the accident and no later than 4 years and 6 months after it |
| Death benefits | Funeral benefits and dependant benefits | Apply within 13 weeks |
Income replacement is a percentage of your weekly income over the 52 weeks before the accident. Casual workers need to have worked at least 260 hours in those 52 weeks. Low earners receive full replacement plus an amount for the superannuation guarantee they would otherwise lose. A doctor must complete an MAI Fitness for Work Certificate for any period you are paid.
| Pre-accident weekly income | First 13 weeks | 14 weeks to 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Below $800 | 100% plus superannuation guarantee | 100% plus superannuation guarantee |
| $800 to $1,000 | 95% | 95% |
| Above $1,000 (capped at $2,250) | 95% | 80% |
Common law compensation is not the first step: you start with defined benefits. A common law claim is only available to someone injured through another person's negligence who meets at least one threshold:
Common law damages can cover treatment and paid domestic care for as long as needed, income replacement (limited to the defined-benefit amount for the first 12 months, then up to 100% of lost earning capacity plus superannuation, with pre-injury earnings capped at $4,500 a week), loss of quality of life up to a maximum of $600,000, and death benefits. Any defined benefits already received are taken into account, and the award is paid as a lump sum. In a blameless accident, for example where a driver has a heart attack or a kangaroo hops onto the road, the driver can be deemed at fault so that others injured can make a common law claim.
Get medical treatment and, if possible, ask your doctor to complete an MAI Medical Report. If police did not attend, report the accident online or at a police station within 24 hours. Then send a Personal Injuries Application and the MAI Medical Report to the MAI insurer of the vehicle most at fault within 13 weeks of the accident. A late application may not be back-dated to the accident, and you will need to explain the delay.
The insurer acknowledges a complete application within 5 business days and has 28 days to decide. If you cannot resume your usual activities or work within 28 days of a complete application, the insurer works with you and your doctor on a recovery plan, reviewed at least every 13 weeks. The free Defined Benefits Information Service (1300 209 642) can help. For deadlines in other states, see CTP claims by state.
Every state runs CTP differently. If you are moving or registering a car interstate, check the scheme you are moving into, or see the CTP comparison across all eight.
Yes. In the ACT it is called Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) insurance, and you are required by law to buy it as part of registering a vehicle.
It is the ACT's compulsory personal injury insurance, which replaced the CTP scheme on 1 February 2020. The main difference is that MAI provides defined benefits to everyone injured, including an at-fault driver, for up to five years, where the old CTP scheme only covered people injured by someone else.
You pay them together. MAI insurance is bought as part of your registration, and you choose the insurer at that point.
It depends on your vehicle class and on each insurer's current schedule, which the MAI Commission publishes with the date it took effect. Access Canberra can also tell you the cheapest policy recorded in its system at that time.
Yes. Everyone injured, including the driver who caused the crash, can receive treatment and care and income replacement for up to five years. Common law compensation is only available to people injured by someone else's negligence who meet a threshold.
Damage to your vehicle, other vehicles or any other property. You need separate car insurance for that. It also does not decide your own benefits in an interstate crash, which follow the local scheme.
