RACQ Insurance Review 2026: What Queensland Drivers and Homeowners Need to Know

RACQ is an Australian mutual insurer from Queensland offering various types of coverage such as car insurance, home insurance, contents insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, boat insurance, and caravan insurance – except for CTP insurance that the company ceased providing from October 2023 due to the numerous difficulties that it causes when re-registering. RACQ is similar to Suncorp, AAMI, and Budget Direct in many ways, but the difference lies in the following: RACQ provides reliable storm and flood coverage designed specifically for Queensland‘s weather, a true 24/7 call center and 27 branches, however, the cost of coverage is higher than the national average.

Find out more about this below..

What RACQ Insurance Actually Covers

RACQ Insurance Limited issues the following products, arranged through RACQ Distribution Services:

• Car insurance — comprehensive, third party property, third party fire and theft
• Home and contents insurance — including landlord cover
• Motorcycle, caravan, trailer, and boat insurance
• Travel insurance — underwritten by Tokio Marine, not RACQ itself
• Pet insurance
• Roadside assistance — a separate membership product, not an insurance policy

Taking out any eligible product (other than travel insurance) makes you an RACQ member, which is what unlocks the fuel, retail, and loan-rate discounts the club is known for.

RACQ Car Insurance Tiers Compared

RACQ sells comprehensive car cover across four membership tiers. Higher tiers cost more but strip away several of the gotchas that generate complaints at the lower end — windscreen cover and hire car access are the two biggest differences.

Tier	Roughly who it suits	Windscreen excess	Hire car after a claim	No claim bonus protection
Blue	Budget-focused, low-risk drivers	Standard excess applies	Not included	Not included
Bronze	Everyday drivers wanting some extras	Excess-free option available	Not included	Available as an add-on
Silver	Families, multi-car households	Excess-free windscreen included	Included for at-fault claims	Included
Gold	Long-term members, higher-value cars	Excess-free windscreen included	Included, extended duration	Included, plus other loyalty perks

The practical takeaway: if you’re on Blue or Bronze and add glass cover after the fact, RACQ generally won’t let you change it mid-term — you wait until renewal. Decide on windscreen and hire car cover at sign-up, not after a rock chip appears.

Google Map Location Of Branches

The RACQ CTP Mistake Almost Everyone Makes

This is the detail that catches out even long-term members: RACQ withdrew from Queensland’s CTP insurance scheme on 1 October 2023. You can no longer nominate RACQ as your CTP insurer when you register or renew a vehicle.

What this means in practice:

1. If your CTP policy started before that date, it stays active with RACQ until your next registration renewal.
2. From your next renewal onward, the Department of Transport and Main Roads randomly allocates you to a different CTP insurer, shown on your renewal notice.
3. You can choose your own CTP insurer instead of waiting for the random allocation — do this through the Department of Transport and Main Roads, by phone on 13 23 80, or in person.
4. Existing RACQ CTP claims are unaffected — RACQ still manages claims tied to policies it wrote before exiting the scheme.
5. This change has zero impact on your RACQ comprehensive car, home, or other insurance — those are separate products.

If you’re searching “RACQ CTP insurance” expecting to buy it directly from RACQ today, that product no longer exists. Comprehensive and third-party property damage cover from RACQ is unaffected and still available.

RACQ Home and Contents Insurance

RACQ’s home cover is built around the weather risks that actually hit Queensland: storm, flood, hail, and fire. In CHOICE’s most recent policyholder survey, RACQ came out as the top-rated insurer for home insurance satisfaction among the brands surveyed, with the large majority of its customers rating their experience above average or excellent.

Where RACQ home insurance falls short compared to some national competitors:

• No standalone insurance app — roadside assistance has one, home and car insurance don’t
• Claims can be lodged online, but you can’t track claim status online; you’ll need to call
• Premium increases on renewal can be steep even with no claims history, according to a pattern that shows up repeatedly in independent customer reviews

How Much Does RACQ Insurance Actually Cost?

There’s no single number here — premiums depend on your postcode, vehicle, claims history, and chosen tier. But independent comparison data gives a useful benchmark:

Factor	What the data shows
Car insurance pricing vs market	Around 34% above the average of other brands reviewed by independent comparison sites
Home insurance satisfaction	Rated highest among insurers in CHOICE’s most recent survey
Car insurance satisfaction	Rated second-highest among insurers in the same survey
Key replacement cover	Capped around $750, below the $1,000 several competitors offer
Multi-policy discount	Up to 5% off each policy when you hold more than one with RACQ
Online sign-up discount	Roughly $25–$50 off your first year, depending on the product

Bottom line: RACQ tends to cost more than budget direct insurers, but its claims satisfaction scores are consistently strong. You’re paying a premium for service quality and local support, not just brand name.

RACQ Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Queensland-based call centre, open 24/7	Premiums run higher than most brands compared
27 physical branches for face-to-face help	No CTP insurance since October 2023
Strong storm/flood/hail cover built for QLD conditions	No dedicated insurance app; can’t track claims online
High customer satisfaction scores in independent surveys	Can’t add or change cover (like windscreen) mid-policy
Multi-policy and loyalty discounts stack	Some benefits, like hire car, are tier-locked to Silver/Gold
Member-owned — profits reinvested rather than paid to shareholders	Total loss valuations are a recurring source of disputes

How to Make a Claim With RACQ: Step-by-Step

1. Report immediately. For accidents, contact RACQ online or by phone as soon as it’s safe. For theft or malicious damage, report to police first — you’ll need the report number.
2. Gather your documents. Policy number, photos of the damage, other party’s details, and any repair quotes if you have them.
3. Choose your repairer carefully if given a choice. RACQ works with an approved repairer network; independent reviews suggest outcomes are smoother when you use one of these over a repairer of your own choosing.
4. Ask directly about total loss thresholds before agreeing to anything. If your assessor calls the car a write-off, ask for the valuation method and get an independent quote if the figure feels low — this is the single most common complaint category in RACQ’s public reviews.
5. Confirm your excess and any add-ons upfront. Don’t assume hire car or no-claim-bonus protection is included — check your tier.
6. Lodge your disagreement via the correct avenue if you disagree with the result. Firstly make your complaint internally; if this fails, the independent and free body to which you can complain about insurance problems in Australia is the AFCA.

Real Complaints We See Most Often (and How to Avoid Them)

Patterns across independent review platforms point to three recurring friction points:

• Total loss disputes. Members report vehicles being written off at valuations they consider too low, particularly for older but well-maintained cars. Fix: request the valuation methodology in writing and get an independent market valuation before accepting.
• Storm-related new business embargoes. RACQ (like most insurers) can temporarily stop issuing new policies in a suburb when a storm is forecast or underway. This isn’t unique to RACQ, but members have been caught out not knowing it existed. Fix: don’t leave new home insurance until the last minute during storm season (roughly November to April in Queensland).
• Exclusions inside add-on benefits. Optional extras like glass or chip repair cover sometimes have narrower definitions than the marketing copy implies. Fix: read the actual Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) section for any add-on before relying on it, not just the summary page.

RACQ vs Suncorp vs AAMI vs Budget Direct

Insurer	Best for	Local presence	CTP available	Price positioning
RACQ	QLD-specific service, storm/flood cover	Queensland branches + 24/7 call centre	No (exited Oct 2023)	Above average
Suncorp	National brand recognition, bundling	National, Brisbane HQ	Yes, in QLD	Mid-to-high
AAMI	Simpler online-first experience	National, phone/online only	Yes, in QLD	Mid-range
Budget Direct	Lowest headline premiums	Online/phone only	Yes, in QLD	Low

If CTP convenience through your car insurer matters to you, RACQ is no longer the option — you’ll need to select a separate CTP insurer regardless of who covers your comprehensive policy.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Choose RACQ

RACQ makes sense if you:

• Live in Queensland and want an insurer that understands local storm and flood risk
• Value being able to walk into a branch or call a local team rather than deal with an app-only insurer
• Already hold RACQ roadside assistance or banking and want the multi-policy discount
• Prioritise claims satisfaction over the cheapest possible premium

Look elsewhere if you:

• Want the lowest possible premium and are comfortable with an online-only claims process
• Need CTP and comprehensive cover from a single insurer
• Want full claim tracking through a mobile app
• Are on a Blue or Bronze tier and think you’ll want to add glass or hire car cover later — lock it in at sign-up

FAQs

Does RACQ still sell CTP insurance in Queensland? 

No. RACQ exited the CTP scheme on 1 October 2023. Existing CTP policies ran until their next registration renewal; from there, motorists are assigned or choose a different CTP insurer through the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Is RACQ insurance only available to Queensland residents? 

RACQ primarily serves Queensland, and its home and car insurance is built around Queensland-specific risks like cyclones and flooding. Coverage and eligibility can vary, so check current terms for your postcode.

Does taking out RACQ insurance make me an RACQ member automatically? 

Yes, for most products other than travel insurance. Membership is what unlocks fuel, retail, and loan discounts.

Is RACQ more expensive than other insurers?

Independent comparisons have found RACQ’s car insurance pricing sits above the average of other brands reviewed, though its customer satisfaction scores are consistently strong in the same surveys.

How do I complain if RACQ denies my claim unfairly? 

Lodge a formal complaint with RACQ first. If it isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, you can take the dispute to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which handles insurance disputes free of charge for consumers.