How long do you have to make a car insurance claim in NZ?

Is there a time limit to make a car insurance claim in NZ?

Not a fixed one. AMI, AA Insurance, Tower, Cove and Vero all require you to tell them about an accident or loss "as soon as possible" (Cove: "as soon as practicable"), not within a set number of days. That is a stricter test than it sounds: it means the first reasonable chance you get, not whenever suits you.

Notice what triggers it. AMI says "anything… that may lead to a claim" and Tower says "circumstances that may result in a claim". The clock starts at the incident, not at the moment you decide to claim. A scrape you were going to pay for yourself still counts, and so does a crash where the other driver says they will sort it out and then goes quiet.

Which fixed deadlines do NZ car policies set?

A handful, and none of them is the reporting deadline people search for. Tower gives you 30 days to return a claim form once it asks for one. AA Insurance and Vero cover a newly bought car for 30 days, and AMI for 14. Cove pays for lost keys only if you tell the police within 24 hours.

The new-car limits matter most in practice. Buy a car on a Saturday, crash it the next Friday, and whether you are covered depends on that clause. On AMI the crash has to fall within 14 days of the purchase and you have to apply to insure the car within the same 14 days.

What happens if I report a car insurance claim late?

The wordings let the insurer decline the claim. AA Insurance says that if you do not comply with the claims conditions it can "decline your claim" and "recover from you what we have already paid". Tower says the same and adds that it can cancel the policy. A late report is not automatically fatal, but it gives the insurer the grounds.

“If you do not comply with your responsibilities under this section… we decline your claim (and recover any claims payment already made). We can also cancel or avoid this policy.”

— Tower Car Insurance Policy 09-24, How to make a claim (read 2026-11-03)

Why insurers care is practical. A late report means the damage cannot be inspected before repairs, the other driver's version has hardened, witnesses have gone, and a small claim against you may have grown. AMI requires you to "let us or anyone acting on our behalf assess the covered property before any repairs are started", and Tower requires its permission "before you arrange for any repairs". Both are much harder to meet weeks after the event.

If a claim is declined for lateness and you think that is unfair, use the insurer's complaints process, then the free external scheme. Cove's wording names it: "If after two months, you are still unsatisfied… you may refer your complaint to the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO)". More on that route in car insurance claims.

Can I still claim if I didn't report the accident at the time?

Often yes, but report it now rather than later. Tell the insurer what happened, when, and why you did not report it straight away. Every extra week makes the explanation harder and the claim easier to decline, especially if the car has already been repaired or the other driver has since made a claim against you.

One situation catches people out: you agreed at the scene to settle privately, and the other driver later sends a large bill or lodges a claim with their insurer. The wordings expect you to pass that on straight away. AMI: "send us as soon as possible anything you receive from another person about a claim or possible claim against you". AA Insurance also says you must not "admit liability" or "make any agreement about any claim without our consent", which a private deal at the roadside can amount to.

A worked example: the same crash, reported in two days or six weeks

Illustrative only. Two drivers each back into a parked car in a supermarket car park. Both leave a note. Both decide to pay the other owner directly. Three weeks later the other owner's panel quote arrives at $3,800, more than either expected.

Telling the insurer is not the same as deciding to claim. Ask whether it can note the incident without a claim being paid: Driver A could then still have settled directly if the quote had come in under the excess. What Driver A kept was the option.

What should I do in the first 24 hours after a crash?

1. Make the scene safe and check nobody is hurt.
2. Get the other driver's name, address, phone number, registration and insurer (Consumer Protection's list). Tower's not-at-fault excess waiver needs name, phone and registration.
3. Photograph both cars, the road and anything that shows how it happened.
4. Don't admit fault or agree a private settlement at the scene: AA Insurance and AMI both say not to without their consent.
5. Report theft, vandalism or a suspected crime to the police. AMI and Tower both ask for a police report in those cases.
6. Ring your insurer or lodge online the same day, even if you are not sure you will claim.
7. Don't start repairs until the insurer has agreed: AMI and Tower both require it.