State Insurance NZ Review (2026): Car, House and Contents Insurance

Who owns State Insurance?

State Insurance is a New Zealand insurer founded in 1905 and is now a business division of IAG New Zealand, the country's largest general insurance group and the parent of brands such as AMI, NZI and Lumley.

State operates nationwide and sells all of its policies directly to customers. It no longer has physical branches; instead, its New Zealand-based teams handle support and claims through digital channels, including the My State online account and the State app. IAG holds an AA (very strong) financial strength rating from Standard & Poor's (Australia) Pty Ltd, which is strong reassurance that State can meet claims even after large-scale events. State has also been named Canstar's Car Insurer of the Year in both 2024 and 2025.

What types of insurance does State offer?

State offers a wide range of personal and business cover, all sold directly online or through the State app.

On the personal side, that includes car, motorcycle, home, contents, landlord, boat, caravan and motorhome insurance. For businesses, State covers assets, business interruption, vehicles, liability, machinery breakdown and commercial property.

Two digital platforms run the experience. The State app lets you view and update policies, make payments, track claims and request State Roadside Rescue, while My State offers the same through your web browser and also lets you add drivers to eligible policies.

What does State car insurance cover?

State offers three levels of car insurance, Comprehensive, Third Party Fire and Theft, and Third Party Only, so you can match your cover to your vehicle and budget.

Comprehensive is the highest level of cover. It protects your own car against accidental damage, fire, theft, vandalism and natural events such as floods and storms, and includes windscreen cover. You also get liability cover up to $20 million for damage to others' property and up to $1 million for injuries you cause. Added benefits include towing, replacement keys and locks, child car seats and a repair guarantee through State's preferred repairers, with new car replacement available on some eligible newer vehicles.

Third Party, Fire and Theft sits in the middle. It covers damage you cause to others (up to $20 million) and injury liability (up to $1 million), plus loss of your own car to fire or theft, with up to $5,000 of cover if an uninsured driver damages your vehicle.

Third Party Only is the most affordable option, covering damage you cause to someone else's vehicle or property (up to $20 million) and injury liability (up to $1 million), with up to $5,000 of uninsured-driver cover.

Driving electric? State covers EVs and hybrids under these same policies. With Comprehensive cover, your battery and the charger and cable supplied with your car are protected against sudden and accidental loss or damage, while Third Party, Fire and Theft covers them for fire, theft and certain natural disasters. Wear and tear and mechanical or electrical faults are not covered. EVs do tend to cost more to insure than petrol or hybrid equivalents, so it pays to compare; see our guide, Electric vehicles compared to petrols & hybrids: do they cost more to insure?.

From 17 May 2026, State also lowered its standard car excess to $300, even for drivers under 25, one of the lowest standard excesses among New Zealand insurers. You can still choose a higher excess to bring your premium down.

How much does State car insurance cost in 2026?

Your State car insurance premium depends on your car, where you live, your excess and your driving history, so a current quote is always the most accurate guide.

Below are sample monthly premiums State quoted online in June 2026 for comprehensive cover on two Toyota Corollas, each with a $600 excess, across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Quotes are State direct online prices including levies and GST, generated in June 2026 for a driver with no recent claims and no drivers under 25, each with a $600 excess. They are a guide only; your premium depends on your car, location, excess and history.

For context, comprehensive car insurance in New Zealand averages $1,267 a year ($106 a month) in 2026. The bigger opportunity is in shopping around: in Q1 2026, drivers who compared with the Quashed Market Scan found a cheaper policy 81% of the time, saving an average of $377 a year. You can read the full breakdown in our guide to the average cost of car, house and contents insurance.

What does State home insurance cover?

State offers one home insurance policy, Home Comprehensive, which covers your house against sudden, accidental and natural-hazard damage, with some generous limits compared with the wider market.

• Temporary accommodation up to $30,000 if your home becomes uninhabitable after a covered event

• Hidden gradual damage from internal plumbing leaks, up to $3,000 a year

• Retaining walls cover up to $50,000, with higher limits available

• Sustainability upgrades up to $15,000 when repairing or rebuilding

• Legal liability up to $2 million for damage to someone else's property

• A $2,000 stress payment for major home damage events

• Excess-free replacement of keys and locks, plus a repair guarantee through preferred repairers

Natural hazard events such as earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity are covered through NHCover, with State topping up repairs or rebuilds to your full sum insured. Optional extras include excess-free glass and bathroom fixtures, matching floor-covering replacement, additional cover for heritage homes and fencing cover for lifestyle blocks.

Nationally, house insurance now averages $2,949 a year ($246 a month), the most expensive of the three main policy types and the only one still rising. It is also where comparing pays off most: Quashed users who shopped their house insurance in Q1 2026 found a cheaper policy 67% of the time, saving an average of $908 a year. Compare your home cover in minutes with the Quashed Market Scan.

What does State contents insurance cover?

State offers one contents policy, Contents Comprehensive, covering your belongings at home, in transit and on short trips overseas.

• Accidental loss, damage or theft cover anywhere in New Zealand

• Overseas cover for your belongings on trips of up to 3 weeks, up to $5,000 per trip

• Cover for your contents in transit when you move house, including up to 14 days in storage

• Legal liability up to $2 million for damage to someone else's property

• Energy-efficient replacement of whiteware after a claim

• Hidden gradual damage up to $3,000 a year, and bicycle and e-bike cover up to $3,000 per item

• Excess-free replacement of keys and locks

Optional add-ons include excess-free spectacles, dentures and hearing aids, plus lifestyle-block contents and tools-of-trade cover.

Contents insurance averages $804 a year ($67 a month) in 2026, and is the only one of the three policy types trending down. Even so, prices vary a lot between insurers: in Q1 2026, shoppers using the Quashed Market Scan found cheaper contents cover 76% of the time, saving an average of $275 a year.

Can you get home and contents insurance together with State?

Yes. State lets you quote home and contents together or as separate policies, and manage both through the State app or My State.

Choosing the combined option arranges cover for your home and your belongings in one quote, while keeping the same features described in the sections above. You can also take home-only or contents-only cover if that suits you better. Whichever way you go, it is worth comparing the combined price against standalone quotes from other insurers, because the cheapest option is not always with a single provider.

How much does State home and contents insurance cost in 2026?

A combined home and contents premium reflects both your home's rebuild sum insured and your contents sum insured, along with the excesses you choose.

Here are sample State home and contents quotes from June 2026 for the same property profile across the three main centres:

Quotes are State direct online prices including levies and GST, June 2026, based on a home sum insured of $825,000, a contents sum insured of $85,000, a $750 home excess and a $500 contents excess, for a 12-month policy. Wellington is consistently the most expensive of the three centres, in line with its higher natural-hazard risk profile.

What does State landlord insurance cover?

State offers landlord cover for the rental building, landlord-owned contents, or both, with protections tailored to rental properties.

• Cover for sudden and accidental damage to the rental property

• Loss of rent if your property becomes unliveable after a covered event

• Optional rent default cover if a tenant stops paying

• Landlord legal liability cover

• Removal of abandoned possessions

• Methamphetamine contamination cover, subject to meeting your landlord obligations such as tenant checks and regular inspections

• Optional add-ons such as heritage home protection

What are the pros and cons of State Insurance?

State's main strengths are its financial backing and digital convenience; its trade-offs are limited cover options and customer satisfaction scores that trail the market leaders.

Pros

• Strong financial strength: backed by IAG's AA (very strong) S&P rating, strong reassurance that claims can be paid during major events.

• Award-winning car cover: named Canstar's Car Insurer of the Year in both 2024 and 2025.

• Fully digital management: view cover, update details and lodge claims 24/7 through the State app or My State.

• Generous temporary accommodation: up to $30,000 if your home becomes uninhabitable, higher than many insurers offer.

Cons

• No branches: support is online and over the phone only, which may not suit those who prefer face-to-face service.

• One tier for home and contents: less flexibility to tailor cover or price than insurers offering multiple levels.

• Lower customer satisfaction than the market leaders: in Consumer NZ's insurance satisfaction survey reported by RNZ, State and sibling brand AMI scored below average for house and contents insurance, with lower-than-average ratings for value for money and customer support, while smaller specialists MAS and FMG topped the rankings.

Is State Insurance worth it in 2026?

State is a dependable, financially strong insurer that suits households wanting straightforward home, contents and car cover, but comparing before you buy or renew is well worth it.

State's home and contents policies in particular offer solid, well-featured cover, backed by IAG's financial strength and a convenient digital experience. The main caveats are its single tier of home and contents cover and its customer satisfaction, which has trailed smaller specialists like MAS and FMG in Consumer NZ's survey results reported by RNZ. That matters most if service is your priority.

Whoever you insure with, loyalty can be costly. Kiwis who do not shop around pay an average "loyalty tax" of $1,560 a year across their car, house and contents policies combined. Run a free Quashed Market Scan to compare State against other insurers in around 90 seconds and see whether you could be paying less. It is free, gives you personalised quotes, and could save you hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars. Get started at Quashed.

Related reading

If you are weighing up State against other insurers, these current Quashed guides are a good next step:

• Average Car, House, and Contents Insurance Cost NZ 2026: what Kiwis are paying for car, house and contents cover this year, and how much you could save by comparing.

• AA Insurance Quotes, Cost and Review: NZ 2026: a full review of another of New Zealand's largest general insurers, including 2026 pricing.

• Cove Insurance NZ Review 2026: Benefits, Costs, and Comparison: how a digital-first challenger compares on price and cover.

• Comparing Insurance Costs for the Most Popular Cars in NZ 2026: how premiums vary by make, model and region.

• Electric vehicles compared to petrols & hybrids: do they cost more to insure?: what EV drivers can expect to pay, and why.

State Insurance FAQs

Who underwrites State Insurance?

State Insurance is a business division of IAG New Zealand Limited, New Zealand's largest general insurer and the company behind brands like AMI, NZI and Lumley. IAG holds an AA (very strong) financial strength rating from Standard & Poor's.

Does State Insurance cover electric vehicles?

Yes. State covers EVs and hybrids under its standard Comprehensive, Third Party Fire and Theft, and Third Party Only car policies, including the battery and the charger and cable that came with the car. Wear and tear and mechanical or electrical faults are not covered.

What is State's car insurance excess?

From 17 May 2026, State's standard car excess is $300, even for drivers under 25. You can choose a higher excess to lower your monthly premium.

Does State Insurance have branches?

No. State operates entirely online and over the phone on 0800 80 24 24. You manage policies and claims through the State app or My State, your online account, seven days a week.

Is State Insurance the same as AMI?

No. State and AMI are separate brands with different cover and pricing, but both are owned by IAG New Zealand, alongside NZI and Lumley. It is worth getting a quote from each rather than assuming they cost the same.

How do I make a claim with State?

You can lodge a claim anytime at state.co.nz/claims, through the State app or My State, or by calling 0800 80 24 24. You can also track your claim's progress through the State app or My State.