Does General Insurance Code of Practice 2020 apply to general insurers?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you are an Insurance Council member or distribute for one. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: General insurers), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
General Insurance Code of Practice 2020. General Insurance Code of Practice 2020 + 2024 amendments. Governs claims handling, financial hardship, vulnerable customers, sales practices.
Trigger: Customer relationship establishment + claim lodgement.
Why general insurers get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 34 of those industries the answer for "General Insurance Code of Practice 2020" is no. General insurers is one of the 1 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for general insurers: Industry: General insurers; applies only if you are an Insurance Council member or distribute for one.
About the industry: General insurance providers regulated by APRA.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires industry: General insurers and APRA regulation).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in general insurers with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Ongoing. Strict claims handling timeframes.
- Evidence to keep
- Claims management system + complaint handling logs + CGC reporting.
- Regulator
- ASIC
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where general insurers differ from the norm
Questions
- Does General Insurance Code of Practice 2020 apply to general insurers?
- Only if you are an Insurance Council member or distribute for one. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: General insurers), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 34 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. General insurers is one of 1 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.