I am 17 almost 18 and i want to move out, if my mom calls the cops what will happen?

[Unregistered]

I am 17 and a half almost 18, I turn 18 in September and I want to run away to get away from my mom. all we do is fight and yell at each other, we have been having problems like this for a long time and I am at my breaking point. I want to move out to get away from it all, but im not 18. I live in the state of California, if I run away/ move out(without parent consent) with how close I am to 18, if she calls the cops, what will they do? Will the arrest me? Will they make me come back home?

[ccsmod14]

Re: I am 17 almost 18 and i want to move out, if my mom calls the cops what will happ

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like things at home have been really frustrating for you with the fighting between you and your mom. We’re glad that you have found our bulletin board and posted, we’re here to help you as much as we can.

So we’re not legal experts here, so we cannot say for sure what would or would not happen in this situation. Generally speaking, though, if you leave without consent from your legal guardians, they have the right to make a runaway report. If a report is made, and the police find you, typically they would just bring you back home. Running away is not a criminal offense, it’s a status offense so you cannot be arrested unless there is some other criminal activity going on. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring, which is a criminal offense.

The way that the police handle 17 year olds can vary. In some cases, they may not take runaway reports. In others, they may take reports but not actively look for you. Or, in others they may take reports and may actively look until you turn 18. It is all completely dependent on the police department themselves, so one option you have is to call your local law enforcement and just ask hypothetically how they may handle this. You do not have to give identifying information to do this. If you would like assistance, you can call us and we can make a call out with you or on your behalf.

Please do call or chat to talk more. We are here to support you through this tough time.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

i had the same question, so if they dont find me till 18 what happens

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by forum to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m almost 18 and will be in two months. What will happen if i leave the house for a night bc things at home are hard?

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are wanting a break from your house as things are hard right now. The best way to leave is with parents’ permission. If you were to leave without your parent’s permission, they could call the police. Police could then bring you back home, sometimes they do not put as much effort into locating someone who is almost 18, though we are not legal experts and cannot give a definitive answer on that. If you would like to talk more about what’s going and why you are needing a break or some possible options to help, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

HI, I turn 18 in 3 months and I was adopted at 15 and its been hard livivng at home with parents who don't treat me as my age. I am SO close to 18 and they still check my cellphone, when I do not tell them things about my personal stuff they define it as lying. I have hit my breaking point as not speaking to them and they have classified that as being disrespectful and rude.Im a hard working kid who works around 3 jobs in the summer so i dont have to worry about money during the school year and during sports, Im finacially stable, I have a friend who has offered me a place to stay, Im doing great in school, I plan to take a pre academy at my local JC and Im also religious but my parents just see me as a effortless kid and when i put work in to all my stuff they just beat me down about it, I am not sure what to do because they do not see me as a 17 year old and when I do normal 17 year old things they punish me bad.. my birthday is January 9th am I able to move out at midnight without any legal problems?

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. That sounds like a frustrating situation that your parents are treating you as if you are younger than you are and not giving you the freedom of a 17 year old who is almost 18. It’s understandable to want to leave and be somewhere you are able to focus on the things you enjoy and that benefit your life. So in general, the age of majority is 18, so if you leave home without permission before then, there is a chance that your parents might contact police and report you as a runaway. If this happens, police are able to bring you back home. In our experience, police do not try as hard to bring a 17 year old back home or even force them to go back if they are in a safe place. Though, we cannot guarantee that outcome as the police are the ones to respond. To get a more clear answer as to what might happen, it is an option to call your local non emergency police and ask them about their policies with a 17 year old runaway. If you would like to talk more about this with us, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS