In Western Australia the compulsory part of car insurance is almost invisible: motor injury insurance is built into your vehicle licence (rego) payment, underwritten by a single government insurer, with nothing to choose and nothing to compare. That makes the WA question less "which CTP?" and more "what does the built-in cover actually do — and what's left for me to arrange?" The answer to the second half is: quite a lot, across the longest distances in the country.
Your WA rego includes injury cover for crash victims. It includes nothing for damage — not the road train you clipped, not your own car rolled on a gravel road 400 km from the nearest tow truck.
Motor injury insurance: one insurer, two layers
WA's scheme is run by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), and it has two layers:
- The fault-based layer. A person injured by the negligent driving of a WA-licensed vehicle can claim compensation against the scheme — the traditional CTP model, where the injured party claims against the at-fault side.
- The no-fault catastrophic layer. Since 1 July 2016, the Catastrophic Injuries Support scheme covers people catastrophically injured in WA crashes — severe brain and spinal injuries, amputations, severe burns, blindness — with lifetime treatment and care regardless of fault. Before that date, a WA driver who rolled their own car with no one else involved could be left with a lifetime of care costs and no scheme to pay them; that gap is now closed for the most severe injuries.
For anything between "uninjured" and "catastrophic" in a single-vehicle crash with no one else at fault, the scheme generally has little to offer — one reason income protection or personal accident cover is worth a thought for people who drive long country distances for work.
The optional half, WA-sized
CTP-style cover pays nothing for property, so the standard ladder applies — third party property, third party fire and theft, comprehensive (Moneysmart has a neutral rundown). WA geography then bends the maths:
- Distance and remoteness. Check the towing and transport benefits in a comprehensive PDS. Policies differ on how far they'll tow, whether they cover accommodation and repatriation when a crash strands you regionally, and how hire-car benefits work outside metro areas — clauses that are decorative in Fitzroy and decisive in Fitzroy Crossing.
- Animal strikes. Kangaroo and livestock strikes are a leading cause of regional claims. Most comprehensive policies cover collision with an animal; some no-frills products treat single-vehicle claims less generously, and excess structures differ.
- Crime patterns. Perth's theft numbers have trended better than the eastern capitals recently, but older, common models remain targets — see our WA car theft guide.
National motor premiums climbed at double-digit annual rates at the 2023–24 peak before easing. WA comprehensive pricing still tends to sit below Sydney and Melbourne for comparable cover, but the same rule applies everywhere: re-quote at renewal instead of rolling over.
Buying or selling a car in WA
A WA vehicle's licence (and the motor injury insurance inside it) stays with the vehicle on sale; the change of ownership is lodged with the transport authority (the seller's and buyer's portions of the MR9 form), and the buyer pays vehicle licence duty on transfer. The insurance points:
- Buyers: injury cover is in place through the vehicle licence from day one; property cover is not. Start at least third party property cover before the drive home — especially if that drive is 600 km of the Great Northern Highway.
- Sellers: lodge your notification of change of ownership promptly (it's what disconnects you from fines, tolls and liability arguments) and cancel or transfer your own comprehensive policy for the partial refund.
What this means if you're selling on MotorLoop
WA buyers routinely travel serious distances to inspect a car, so a thorough listing does more work here than anywhere: clear photos, honest condition notes, and the licence expiry date. Listing is free, buyer messages keep your number private, and if you're replacing the car you can browse used cars nationally.
Related
- Buying or selling a car in WA: the complete checklist
- Car theft in Western Australia: what Perth drivers need to know
- Car insurance around the world: how other countries cover their drivers
- Car insurance in Australia: FAQs
- Modified cars: what's legal, what needs certifying, and what it does to resale
FAQs
Do I need to buy CTP insurance in WA?
No separate purchase exists — motor injury insurance is included in your vehicle licence (registration) payment and underwritten by the Insurance Commission of WA. There is no insurer choice and no comparison shopping on the compulsory part; only the optional property cover is a market.
What is the Catastrophic Injuries Support scheme?
Since 1 July 2016, people catastrophically injured in WA motor crashes — severe brain or spinal injuries, amputations, severe burns, blindness — receive lifetime treatment and care through ICWA regardless of who was at fault, including single-vehicle crashes. Less severe injuries still generally require another party to have been at fault.
Does comprehensive insurance cover hitting a kangaroo?
Under most comprehensive policies, collision with an animal is a covered claim, but products differ on excesses and single-vehicle claim terms. If you drive regional WA regularly, read those clauses — and the towing-distance benefit — before choosing a policy on price.