Car Insurance for New Drivers in Singapore (2026 Guide)

Last checked: 17 October 2026. Insurer terms change often, so check the insurer’s own page and policy wording before you buy.

Just passed your test, or about to? This guide covers car insurance for new drivers in Singapore: what your P plate means, why insurers treat newly licensed drivers differently, what young and inexperienced driver excess is, how the No-Claim Discount (NCD) works, and what to check before you compare quotes.

This is general information, not financial advice. It doesn’t take your personal circumstances into account. Consider seeking advice from a licensed financial adviser or insurance broker, and read the insurer’s policy wording before you buy.

Quick answer: do new drivers pay more for car insurance in Singapore?

Often, yes. The General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) says most insurers use a “risk factor rating system”, and the driver’s profile and claims history are among the factors (GIA). Many insurers also add an extra excess when a young or newly licensed driver has an accident. A new driver also starts with no NCD, which builds up only with claim-free years.

We don’t quote premiums on this page. Insurers price each policy individually, and we couldn’t find a dated official or insurer figure for new drivers. The only way to know your price is to get a quote for your own driver details and car.

• Passed recently? Your P plate stays on for one year, and the demerit point limit is lower while you’re on probation.
• Driving a family car? Check that you’re properly named on the policy, and what excess applies when you drive.
• Buying your own car? Compare the excess for young and inexperienced drivers, not just the premium.

Your probation period and P plates explained

New licence holders are on probation for one year from the date their driving licence is issued (Singapore Police Force). Here’s what that means in practice:

• P plates for one year. New Class 2B, 3/3A and 3C/3CA drivers must display a probation plate at the front and rear while driving during the probation year (SPF, Basic Theory of Driving).
• Where they go on a car. For a car with front and rear windscreens, at the top right of the front windscreen and the top right of the rear windscreen, as seen from outside (Road Traffic (New Drivers) Rules).
• Not displaying them. You can be fined, and at least two such offences during probation lead to the licence being revoked (SPF).
• Demerit points. Today, a probationary licence is revoked if you collect 13 or more demerit points during the probation year (SPF). From 1 January 2027, the limit drops to 12 points. On that date, probationary motorists also get a one-time deduction of one demerit point from any points they already have (SPF, 31 July 2026).
• If it’s revoked. You have to retake the theory and practical tests to get a licence again, and you can only retake them one year after the revocation (SPF, Basic Theory of Driving).

Why it matters for insurance: insurers ask about your driving experience and traffic record when they price a policy, and some extras (such as Tiq’s NCD-linked discount) are tied to having no demerit points (Tiq).

Still preparing? Our Class 3A practical test checklist explains how demerit points work on test day.

Is car insurance compulsory in Singapore?

Yes. LTA says every vehicle on Singapore roads must have motor insurance at all times, it’s an offence to use a vehicle without valid insurance, and the cover must at least include third-party liability for death and bodily injury. Your car must also be insured for the whole road tax period before road tax can be renewed (LTA OneMotoring). The law behind this is the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1960 (GIA).

Anything beyond that legal minimum, such as cover for damage to your own car, is optional and depends on the plan you choose.

How much is car insurance for a new driver?

There’s no single price, which is why we don’t publish figures. GIA lists the risk factors most insurers consider (GIA):

• Vehicle profile: the car itself.
• Insured and driver profile: who is insured and who drives. DirectAsia, for example, says its prices depend on the type of car, the driver’s age and driving history, and occupation (DirectAsia).
• What the car is used for: private, corporate or commercial use, hire and so on.
• Type of cover: third party only, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive.
• Claims history.

GIA adds that these factors don’t carry equal weight, and each insurer weights them using its own statistics and claims data. So two insurers can quote the same new driver quite differently. Workshop choice also matters: GIA notes that lower-priced policies may limit where your car can be repaired, who can drive it, or whether new or reconditioned parts are used (GIA).

Young and inexperienced driver excess: what it is and how it works

Excess is the amount you may have to bear yourself when a claim is made on your policy. GIA notes that different excesses may apply to different drivers, named and unnamed (GIA).

Many insurers add an extra excess, on top of the standard one, when the driver at the time of an accident is below an age threshold or has held a licence for less than a set time. The thresholds, amounts and who they apply to (the policyholder, named drivers or only unnamed drivers) vary by insurer, so don’t assume one insurer’s rule applies to another. Here’s what each insurer’s own page or policy wording says.

What insurers’ own pages say about new drivers (checked 17 October 2026, SGT). Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking. Premiums are quote-based.

Insurer and plan	What its page says about new or young drivers	Extra excess, as published	Source (checked)
Allianz Motor Protect	Open to holders of a valid Singapore ID or recognised pass who hold a valid driving licence. Cover types: third party only, third party fire and theft, comprehensive.	Policy wording (April 2025): an extra Unnamed Driver Excess of S$2,500 if the unnamed driver is under 27 or has less than one year’s driving experience, and S$500 if they’re 27 or older with at least one year’s experience. Not shown on the product page.	Allianz and policy wording, Apr 2025 (17 Oct 2026)
DirectAsia Car Insurance	Defines young and/or inexperienced drivers as under 30 and/or holding a valid licence for under 2 years. Its Value and Value Plus plans allow up to 2 young and/or inexperienced named drivers. Its Flexible plan covers unlimited drivers, experienced or not.	Not shown on the page we checked.	DirectAsia (17 Oct 2026)
HL Assurance Car Protect360	A Young and/or Inexperienced Driver Excess applies, on top of the own damage excess, when the car is driven by someone other than the policyholder who is under 27 and/or has held a valid licence for under 2 years.	Applies as above. The amount is not shown on the page.	HL Assurance (17 Oct 2026)
Income Drivo (distributed by FWD)	Underwritten by Income Insurance and distributed by FWD. Three plans (Premium, Advantage, Classic) with different workshop terms. Its optional enhanced benefits include a waiver of the young driver excess for drivers under 27.	The amount of the young driver excess is not shown on the page we checked.	FWD (17 Oct 2026)
MSIG MotorMax / MotorMax Plus	A Young and/or Inexperienced Driver Excess applies, on top of the standard excess, when the vehicle is “driven by you and any person who is under 23 years old, and/or held a valid driving license under 2 years” (MSIG’s wording).	Applies as above. The amount is not shown on the page.	MSIG (17 Oct 2026)
Tiq by Etiqa Private Car Insurance	From 1 August 2025, its “young and inexperienced driver” age changed from below 24 to below 27. Learner drivers aren’t covered unless Etiqa gives prior written consent.	Extra S$4,000 for unnamed drivers who are under 27, over 75 and/or have held a full licence for under 2 years. Extra S$1,000 for other unnamed drivers, subject to the age and experience conditions in the wording.	Tiq and policy wording v19, Feb 2026 (17 Oct 2026)

NCD for first-time car owners

A No-Claim Discount (NCD) is a discount on next year’s premium if no claim has been made under your policy. GIA shows a common scale for private cars (GIA):

Claim-free period	Discount on renewal	If you make 1 claim, NCD becomes
1 year	10%	0%
2 years	20%	0%
3 years	30%	0%
4 years	40%	10%
5 years or longer	50%	20%

• Not always lost after a claim. GIA says your NCD may not be affected if you’re found totally not at fault in an accident involving another vehicle.
• It follows you, not the car. In principle, GIA says, NCD applies to you rather than your vehicle.
• NCD protector. Some insurers sell an add-on, for an extra premium, that protects your NCD for one claim in the policy period. It usually needs an NCD you’ve already built up: MSIG, Allianz and Income Drivo (via FWD) state 30% or higher, and HL Assurance states 50% only (MSIG, Allianz, FWD, HL Assurance). So a brand-new driver with 0% NCD generally can’t buy one yet.
• Limits of a protector. GIA notes a protected NCD may not transfer to another insurer, and a protector doesn’t stop an insurer from cancelling or not renewing your policy (GIA).
• Checking your NCD. Ask your current or previous insurer what NCD you hold before you get quotes elsewhere.

Driving a family car? Named driver vs main driver

Many new drivers start on a parent’s or partner’s car. GIA’s guidance for consumers explains that some policies offer lower premiums by letting only specified drivers drive the car, and a driver who isn’t listed in the certificate of insurance isn’t allowed to drive it. Different excesses may apply to different drivers (GIA and CASE). The certificate of insurance states who is authorised to drive (GIA).

• Check the certificate before you drive the family car, to see whether you’re covered.
• Ask what excess applies to you. As the table above shows, a young or newly licensed named or unnamed driver can face an extra excess.
• Learner practice. Some policies don’t cover learner drivers without the insurer’s consent. Tiq’s wording, for example, excludes them unless Etiqa agrees in writing (Tiq policy wording).

Don’t “front”. Fronting means naming a more experienced driver, such as a parent, as the main driver when the newer driver actually uses the car most. DirectAsia calls this fraudulent behaviour, and says it can void a policy and treat it as if it never existed if the main driver was intentionally mis-declared to get a lower premium (DirectAsia). GIA also notes an insurer may cancel a policy if you gave false information on the insured or driver profile (GIA). Declare every driver honestly, including who drives the car most.

Comprehensive vs TPFT vs TPO: what each one covers

GIA describes three common packages (GIA):

What’s covered	Third party only (TPO)	Third party, fire and theft (TPFT)	Comprehensive
Death or injury to other people	Yes	Yes	Yes
Damage to other people’s property	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fire damage to, or theft of, your car	No	Yes	Yes
Accidental damage to your car	No	No	Yes
Windscreen damage	No	No	Yes
Riot, strike and civil commotion damage	No	No	Yes
Personal accident and medical expenses (private car)	No	No	Yes

Not every insurer sells all three. Allianz, for example, offers all three types on its page (Allianz). Check which cover types each insurer offers before you compare. If you’ve passed but feel rusty, refresher lessons with a private instructor can help before you drive alone.

How to compare quotes as a new driver: questions to ask before you buy

Use this checklist when you get quotes, and keep the answers side by side.

• Which cover type is this: TPO, TPFT or comprehensive? Is flood damage included or an add-on?
• What’s the standard own damage excess, and is there a separate windscreen excess?
• Is there a young or inexperienced driver excess? What age and licence thresholds trigger it, how much is it, and does it apply to me as the policyholder, to named drivers or only to unnamed drivers?
• Who exactly is allowed to drive? Are unnamed drivers covered, and at what excess?
• Can I repair at any workshop, or only at the insurer’s authorised workshops? Does the excess change depending on where I repair?
• What NCD am I starting with, and how will a claim affect it?
• Is learner-driver practice covered, and does it need the insurer’s consent?
• Can I pay monthly, and does that cost more than paying once a year?
• What are the main exclusions, and what happens if I drive into West Malaysia?
• Have I declared every driver, and who drives the car most, honestly?

Read the policy wording and product summary before you buy. GIA reminds consumers that lower premiums can come with more restrictions on what’s covered (GIA).

Compare car insurance quotes on SingSaver →

Can new or probationary drivers rent or car-share?

It depends on the operator. Taking GetGo as one example, its help centre says you need to be 19 or older with at least a year of driving experience, or 25 or older with a valid licence if you don’t have driving experience. P-plate licences aren’t accepted unless you’re 25 or older, and GetGo doesn’t provide P plates, so you bring your own (GetGo Help Centre). Its terms treat drivers under 23 as “young drivers”, and drivers with under two years’ experience as “new drivers”, with a higher insurance excess for both (GetGo terms). Check each operator’s current terms before you book.

After an accident: reporting and making a claim

GIA’s Motor Claims Framework (MCF) sets out the steps after an accident. The basic steps (GIA):

1. Exchange particulars with the other parties and note their vehicle numbers.
2. Call your insurer’s hotline if you need a tow truck.
3. Report the accident, and take your car, damaged or not, to the approved reporting centre or authorised workshop within 24 hours. If it happens on a weekend, the end of the next working day applies: an accident on Saturday night is reported by Monday.

A Traffic Police report is a separate step. It’s needed if the accident involves a fatality, someone taken to hospital by ambulance from the scene, someone given outpatient medical leave of 3 days or more, damage to government property, a foreign vehicle, a pedestrian or cyclist, or a hit-and-run (SPF).

Don’t skip reporting. GIA says failing to report breaches the policy condition, so the insurer can refuse liability, and insurers may also cancel the policy, decline to renew it or take away your NCD if you delay reporting. The exception is a third party’s claim for death or bodily injury: under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act, the insurer can’t refuse that claim just because you didn’t report the accident (GIA).

Two more safety nets worth knowing about. Personal motor policies from insurers that are members of the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme, run by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, are covered by the scheme, as are compulsory motor policies (SDIC). You can check whether an insurer is regulated in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. If you have a dispute with an insurer you can’t resolve, FIDReC is an independent dispute resolution body, and filing a dispute is free (FIDReC).

Compare car insurance quotes on SingSaver →

FAQ

How long do new drivers in Singapore display P plates?

For one year from the date your new licence is granted. That’s the probation period for new Class 2B, 3/3A and 3C/3CA drivers (SPF).

How many demerit points can a probationary driver get?

Today, 13 or more points during probation means your licence is revoked. From 1 January 2027, the limit is 12 points (SPF).

Do new drivers pay more for car insurance?

Insurers price on risk factors including the driver’s profile and claims history (GIA), and many add an extra excess for young or newly licensed drivers. The only way to know your price is to get quotes.

What is the maximum NCD for a private car?

Under the common method GIA describes, 50% after five or more claim-free years (GIA).

Can I drive my parent’s car as a new driver?

Only if their policy covers you. Check the certificate of insurance for who is authorised to drive, and ask what excess applies to you (GIA). If you’ll be the one driving the car most, say so: naming someone else as main driver to lower the premium is fronting.

Sources

All checked on 17 October 2026 (SGT, UTC+8).

• GIA, How is my premium priced?: https://gia.org.sg/frequently-asked-questions/4-how-is-my-premium-priced.html (17 Oct 2026)
• GIA, Motor Insurance Consumer Guide: https://gia.org.sg/consumers/motor-guide/motor-insurance-consumer-guide.html (17 Oct 2026)
• GIA, Motor Insurance Consumer Guide (FAQ version): https://gia.org.sg/motor-insurance/21-buying-a-motor/345motor-insurance-consumer-guide-motor-insurance-consumer-guide.html
• GIA, No Claims Discount: https://gia.org.sg/consumers/motor-guide/no-claims-discount.html (17 Oct 2026)
• GIA, Motor Claims Framework: https://gia.org.sg/motor-insurance/22-premium-renewal-of-policy/348-motor-claims-framework.html (17 Oct 2026)
• GIA, Non-reporting of accidents: https://gia.org.sg/motor-insurance/23-faq-on-motor-insurance-issues/350-non-reporting-of-accidents.html (17 Oct 2026)
• GIA and CASE, motor insurance consumer leaflet: https://gia.org.sg/images/resources/For-Consumers-PDF-file/CASE-2017-motorinsurance.pdf (17 Oct 2026)
• Singapore Police Force, Driver Improvement Points System: https://www.police.gov.sg/Knowledge-Hub/Traffic/Traffic-Matters/Driver-Improvement-Point-Systems (17 Oct 2026)
• Singapore Police Force, Tightening of the DIPS, 31 July 2026: https://www.police.gov.sg/media-hub/news/2026/07/20260731_tightening_of_the_driver_improvement_points (17 Oct 2026)
• Singapore Police Force, Basic Theory of Driving: https://www.police.gov.sg/-/media/SPF/Advisories/TP/BT-ENG-2126.pdf (17 Oct 2026)
• Singapore Police Force, Reporting traffic accidents: https://www.police.gov.sg/knowledge-hub/traffic/traffic-matters/reporting-traffic-accidents-and-offences (17 Oct 2026)
• Road Traffic (New Drivers) Rules, Singapore Statutes Online: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/RTA1961-R32 (17 Oct 2026)
• LTA OneMotoring, Insurance: https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/content/onemotoring/home/owning/ongoing-car-costs/insurance.html (17 Oct 2026)
• SDIC, Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme scope: https://sdic.org.sg/pp_scope_of_coverage/ (17 Oct 2026)
• MAS Financial Institutions Directory: https://eservices.mas.gov.sg/fid (17 Oct 2026)
• FIDReC: https://www.fidrec.com.sg/ (17 Oct 2026)
• Allianz Motor Protect: https://www.allianz.sg/individual-solutions/allianz-motor-protect.html (17 Oct 2026)
• Allianz Motor Protect policy wording, April 2025: https://www.allianz.sg/content/dam/onemarketing/azsg/www-allianz-sg/assets/is/apr-2025-updated-policy-and-factsheets/Allianz-Motor-Protect-Policy-Wording%20Apr%202025.pdf
• DirectAsia Car Insurance: https://www.directasia.com/car-insurance (17 Oct 2026)
• DirectAsia, Driver and usage FAQ: https://www.directasia.com/car-insurance/frequently-asked-questions/driver-usage (17 Oct 2026)
• FWD, Income Drivo car insurance: https://www.fwd.com.sg/car-insurance/ (17 Oct 2026)
• HL Assurance Car Protect360: https://www.hlas.com.sg/personal-insurance/car-insurance/ (17 Oct 2026)
• MSIG MotorMax: https://www.msig.com.sg/personal/motormax (17 Oct 2026)
• Tiq Private Car Insurance: https://www.tiq.com.sg/product/private-car-insurance/ (17 Oct 2026)
• Tiq Private Car Insurance policy wording v19, February 2026: https://www.tiq.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Private-Car-Insurance-Policy-Wording-v19.pdf (17 Oct 2026)
• GetGo Help Centre, requirements: https://help.getgo.sg/hc/en-us/articles/14462205776153-What-are-the-requirements-to-join-GetGo (17 Oct 2026)
• GetGo terms and conditions: https://www.getgo.sg/blog/terms-conditions-for-access-to-and-use-of-getgo-carsharing-service (17 Oct 2026)