In NSW you get a green slip refund by cancelling your vehicle registration first, then claiming the unused portion of your CTP green slip from your insurer. It is a two step process, the refund is worked out pro rata from the cancellation date, and an administration fee applies.
This guide covers when you qualify, how to cancel, and how the process changes if you have moved to another state or overseas. When you are ready for new cover, compare all six insurers in our green slip calculator.
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When You Can Get A Green Slip Refund
A green slip refund is not automatic, and you cannot get one simply because you changed your mind about your insurer mid term. A refund is only available in three circumstances:
- You cancel your vehicle’s registration for a valid reason
- Your vehicle is written off
- You have moved interstate and cancelled your NSW registration
The main case where you do not get a refund is selling your car. A CTP policy is linked to the vehicle, not the owner, so when you sell, the registration and green slip follow the car to the new owner, leaving no balance to refund.
You do not cancel in this case; you lodge a notice of disposal with Service NSW. For that scenario, see our guide for second hand car owners.
The Two Step Refund Process
Getting your unused premium back follows a set order, because your insurer cannot refund the green slip until your registration is cancelled.
Step 1
Cancel your registration with Service NSW. Visit a service centre with your registration certificate, number plates, proof of identity, fees, and a completed Cancellation of Registration form. Once processed, Service NSW issues a cancelled registration letter confirming the date your cover ended.
Step 2
Claim the refund from your CTP insurer. Forward the cancelled registration letter, or the Service NSW confirmation, to your CTP insurer. The insurer pays a pro rata refund on the remaining period of your green slip, may return part of the Fund Levy, and processes the payment to you.
Each of the six insurers, AAMI, Allianz, GIO, NRMA Insurance, QBE and Youi, has its own process, so contact the correct CTP insurer for your vehicle. For help locating your insurer or claim, the free CTP Assist line is 1300 656 919 and Service NSW is 13 77 88.
To see how the six insurers compare, read our guide on which insurers sell CTP green slip insurance.
How To Cancel Your Vehicle Registration
To cancel registration, attend a Service NSW centre in person or send a representative with the right paperwork. Bring the following:
- A completed Cancellation of Registration form
- Proof of your identity
- Your current Certificate of Registration
- The vehicle’s number plates
- A police event number if the plates were stolen
- A letter from your insurer if the vehicle was written off, showing the date of the incident
Where more than one person is recorded as the operator, only the primary operator needs to sign the form. If you have moved overseas, you can send a representative to cancel the registration for you.
Registration fees are not refundable, but you may receive the unused vehicle tax.
Returning, Reserving And Replacing Number Plates
You must hand in your number plates when you cancel registration, and keeping them afterwards is an offence. If your plates were stolen, report it to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 straight away and quote the police event number when you cancel.
If you surrendered your plates in another jurisdiction, bring the surrendered number plate receipt from that interstate authority. You can also reserve and store your plates through Service NSW if your registration expired less than three months ago, for a minimum of one year and up to five years, with an annual fee for personalised plates. If registration lapses for more than three months it is cancelled, and starting again then requires a blue slip.
Refunds If You Have Moved Interstate Or Overseas
The process differs once you are no longer in NSW. To cancel from interstate, use the Request for refund of NSW registration form and provide a surrendered number plate receipt from your new state or territory’s authority, or hand in the NSW plates.
Only the unused NSW motor vehicle tax is refunded on the registration side, the registration fee and number plate fees are not. If the vehicle stays in your name, a cancellation fee applies, and if it is in a different name, a transfer fee is deducted as well.
Interstate refunds can take six to eight weeks.
Full detail is on the Service NSW interstate cancellation page.
A useful tip when relocating is to register and pay any stamp duty in your new state before cancelling in NSW, otherwise you may be charged NSW stamp duty at cancellation. If you have moved overseas permanently, you can still claim by cancelling the registration and providing your overseas address for the refund.
Written Off Vehicles And A Timing Detail Worth Knowing
If your vehicle is written off, take the number plates to Service NSW within 14 days. After the cancellation date, your CTP green slip still provides cover for four business days, which protects you during the changeover.
The insurer records the vehicle on the NSW Written Off Vehicle Register and sends a letter confirming the write off and cancellation. You will need documentation showing the vehicle is no longer required on the road, then you can claim the unused portion from your insurer.
Fees, Timeframes And What Is Not Refundable
A green slip refund covers only the unused portion of your premium from the cancellation date, not the full amount you paid. Keep these points in mind:
- An administration fee applies and varies by insurer, for example QBE charges $15, while others are around $22 including GST
- Standard green slip refunds are usually paid within about 20 business days
- Interstate registration refunds take longer, around six to eight weeks
- The registration fee and number plate fees are not refundable, only the unused CTP and motor vehicle tax
- The cancellation fee is deducted automatically from your refund
What A Green Slip Actually Covers
A green slip is the compulsory CTP insurance you must hold to register a vehicle in NSW. It pays compensation for injuries to people hurt in a motor vehicle accident, including other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
Cover includes medical expenses, rehabilitation and loss of income, and for severely injured people the NSW Lifetime Care and Support Scheme can fund ongoing lifetime care.
A green slip does not cover damage to vehicles or property, which is why drivers add comprehensive car insurance for that.
A serious driving offence by an at fault driver can limit the benefits that driver is able to claim after a car accident.
Why Green Slip Prices Change, And How To Compare
Green slip prices in NSW are regulated by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority, and they dropped after the 2017 reforms reshaped the scheme.
Insurers still set their own prices within those rules, using factors like your vehicle’s age and type, where you live, your driving history including demerit points, and how often accidents happen for your risk profile.
Because each insurer weighs these differently, prices vary between the six insurers, so it pays to compare before buying new cover.
Our CTP green slip FAQs answer common refund and cancellation questions, and the smart guide to green slip renewal covers timing if you are renewing rather than cancelling. The official cancelled policy refund rules are set out by SIRA.
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