The Nautical Department handles cases involving construction of ships, environment and pollution, safety at sea, navigation, certification (ISM), and safety and health on board the ships. A large part of the department's work relates to the laws and rules for nautical, technical and environmental issues at international and national levels.

At the international level, the work is in the UN International Maritime Organization, where the department participates as an advisor to the official Danish delegation.

At national level, work is primarily under the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Climate and Energy, especially in the related agencies, the Danish Maritime Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Agency. The latter is primarily in connection with rules for the offshore area.

Shipping is regulated by detailed international rules. In the technical area these are SOLAS - International Convention of Safety of Life at Sea, and in the environment area these are MARPOL - International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.

These international conventions constitute a large part of the basis of Danish maritime legislation on maritime safety and marine protection.