秦漢時代，「都官」一詞有著中央機構總稱的意思。「都官」同時包括了真正處於京師的中央機構，以及這些機構設於地方的分支單位。真正位處首都的「都官」，就是存世文獻習見的「中都官」，包括九卿以下的所有中央官署；設於地方的都官，就是一些負責替皇帝掌控國內山林藪澤自然資源的官署。如鹽、鐵、工官等，便是典型的地方都官。這些地方都官原先大多直屬於少府，其後因漢武帝以後皇室財政逐步向國家財政傾斜而漸漸改屬大司農。地方都官屬於非治民官，與負責民政的郡、縣有所不同。雖然地方都官的長官級別等同縣令、長，但它們的轄區只佔據縣的一隅之地，局限在自身的鹽場、工房之中。地方都官設置在縣裡的特點，導致它們體制上雖直屬中央機構，但日常的文書行政、財務行政、物材行政三方面均極度依賴所在郡、縣處理。

To better control natural resources, central government departments established certain regional branch-offices after the Warring States period. Unlike local administrative units such as commanderies 郡 and counties 縣, these branch-offices, like their central government counterparts, were regarded as Dūguān 都官and thus were not responsible for civil affairs. These regional Dūguān, most of which were initially subordinate to Superintendent of the Lesser Treasury 少府, were gradually devolved to the Superintendent of Agriculture 大司農 after Emperor Wu’s fiscal reform. Although regional Dūguān theoretically belonged to central government departments, they were controlled by local administrative units in the following three aspects: 1. administrative communications; 2. financial administration and labor force; 3. materials administration.