Regulations and standards

Australia's maritime safety and protection of the sea laws implement international and national standards. These relate to ship construction, equipment, crew and vessel safety and seafarer employment.

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The national law and regulations

Find the Domestic Commercial Vessel National Law, the Navigation Act and regulations.

National Law Act 2012

We administer the national law, regulations and marine orders in implementing the national system.

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Navigation Act 2012

The Navigation Act 2012 is legislation which covers international ship and seafarer safety, protect...

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Legislation

Overview of the international and domestic legislation and standards that apply in Australia.

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Guidance notices and fact sheets for domestic commercial vessel owners and operators

Find out more about complying with the national system if you are a domestic commercial vessel...

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Approach to regulatory action against certificates of competency

The National Law places obligations on maritime operators and other parties to ensure safety of...

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Marine orders

Read all marine orders including marine orders under the national law and navigation acts.

National law exemptions

You can apply for an exemption from a national law requirement. You may do so when it is unreasonable to require full compliance or where transitional arrangements are required.

Standards and generic equivalent solutions

Find the National Standards for Commercial Vessels, generic equivalent solutions, the Uniform Shipping Laws code, and International Safety Management code.

Marine notices

Find important safety related information, general guidance and changes to legislation on shipping and maritime issues.

What are marine orders

Marine orders can change or add to Australia's maritime laws. Find out how they are created, the conventions around marine orders, and view an index of all marine orders.