17 year old wants to move out

[ccsmod1]

RE: 17 and wanting to leave

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are in a really tough situation. We are sorry to hear about what your mother said to you. Nobody should have to hear something like that. It is understandable that you would want to leave, and it is good to hear that you have the support of your brother and grandmother.

We are not legal experts, but we can tell you general information. Running away or moving out without your parent's permission is not a crime, but your parents can file a runaway report with the police. If that happens, the police can find you and make you go home. However, harboring a runaway could result in criminal charges, so your brother and grandma might be taking a risk by taking you in. Once you turn 18, you don't have to worry about any of that any more. If you have more questions or just want to talk about your options, you can call us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), or you can chat with us live on www.1800RUNAWAY.org every day between 4:30pm and 11:30pm CST. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Unregistered]

i want to move out.

I am a 17 year old young woman who lives in the state of CA. My home life is ok. I was born into a economically stable home, good relationships with my siblings although my parents and I don't see, "eye to eye".
I was curious about the possibility of me going to stay with a friend without the police getting involved. I was trying to look up my legal rights as a 17 year old in CA but i haven't had any luck in finding the specifics to my current situation. Again, I am NOT abused physically, but mentally my parents don't want to understand me and i need some information on how i can leave home. Can i pack up and just leave?
thanks

[ccsmod11]

re:i want to move out.

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out. How your feeling is understandable and we appreciate you clarifying your circumstances. Have you talked to your parents about how you're feeling? If you're interested in that option, NRS actually offers a conference call service for youth and their parents. You can call in and have an NRS liner facilitate a conversation between you and your parent.

Unfortunately, we are not legal experts, so we can't provide definitive answers to those types of questions. What we can tell you is that the age of majority is different in every state. If you are considered a minor, your parents could technically file a runaway report which would allow the police to look for you and return you home. There is also a chance anyone helping you out could get into legal trouble as well. Your local sheriff or legal aid would be able to provide more specific answers.

We are here at NRS 24/7 at 1(800) Runaway and on chat from 4:30-11:30p CT each day. Please feel free to reach out if you'd like to talk more and get additional resources.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck,

NRS

[17 years old]

17 and will be attending college in august

I'm 17 and will be graduated in about a week. I want to move out after I graduate and it would be a lot easier to get to college if I did. If my parents are okay with it, would they get in trouble if they let me move out a couple months before I turn 18 which is in December?

[ccsmod9]

RE: 17 and will be attending college in august

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out and posting on the National Runaway Safeline bulletin board. Congrats on your impending graduation! It sounds like you're a mature young person who knows what they want.

Unfortunately, we're not legal experts here at NRS, so we can't say for certain whether your parents would get in trouble. However, in general, the age of majority is 18 in most states, so your parents would be considered responsible for you until you turn 18. One way around this is to get emancipated. There are certain requirements for emancipation depending on your state, and the process may take time, so you might turn 18 before you are legally emancipated.

If you'd like to discuss this all further, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) where we're available to talk and to listen 24/7. Or you can chat with us from 4:30 to 11:30 pm Central time by going to www.1800runaway.org and clicking the red button in the corner. We hope to hear from you soon.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Unregistered]

I just moved to Cali with my bio-dad and he took me from my family

I am 17 and currently live with my biological dad in Cali that I don't really know! He got custody of me about 2 months ago and got me from oklahoma were I have lived my whole life at, freinds, family, g-friend lives in OK! He said that if I live with him for a month or 2 in Cali then before the summer he would find a house in OK by my like! Now he is saying that I'm stuck here now and that I'm not going back! I miss my family, freinds and my g-friend so much! Can I run away to oklahoma because I've got the money too! How do I get back to live with my sister? Please help

[ccsmod1]

RE: I just moved to Cali with my bio-dad and he took me from my family

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a really tough situation. It must be difficult to be uprooted from your life in Oklahoma to live with your dad in California. It sounds like you are struggling to feel at home there, and it is understandable that you would want to leave. Since you are under 18, and your dad has custody of you, if you leave without his permission, you could be filed as a runaway. If your father files a runaway report with the police, they might make you go back. In some circumstances, police will not take a runaway report for a 17 year old, but this depends on the city and state. If you want more information about how runaway reports are treated in your area, you could call the police non-emergency number to ask. If you have any questions, or need help making a plan, you can call 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us on www.1800runaway.org every day between 4:30pm and 11:30pm CST. We are here to listen and support you however we can. We are looking forward to your call, and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

17 2 18

are you able to do your own stuff at 17 turning 18 in 4 months without your parents word in it?

[ccsmod14]

Re: 17 2 18

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to help you out the best we can.

We want to let you know we are not legal experts here, but generally speaking, in most states until you turn 18, you are considered a minor. As a minor, one needs to have permission from a legal guardian regarding where they are allowed to live, and generally what the can and cannot do.

Again, we are not legal experts but if you would like any further legal information, you can always call our anonymous and confidential hotline to get legal resources that may be able to help you further.

We are here to support you in any way that we can. We also have chat available from 4:30pm to 11:30pm CST through our website at 1800runaway.org.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[MARIE]

I want to be done

Hello I am a 17 year girl form colorado i am the yongest of 5 and I would like to know if it possible for me to move out of my moms house. I have two months tell I am 18.

[Unregistered]

I'm 17 living in Simla colorado

Jw since Im 17 and lives in an town called Elbert county and idk if the sheriff office will arrest me for running away because Im sick of being hear at home my parents are being unfair and won't let me see my gf hardly which she's 16 can she get in trouble if I went to live with her which she's in elpaso county idk how the sheriffs work there but wondering if they do anything like arrest me um and I just turn 17 in January

[ccsmod5]

re: I'm 17 living in Simla colorado

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it seems like you are going through a pretty tough time at this point in your life and we want you to know that we are here to listen and to help you in the best way we can.

Unfortunately, we are not legal experts here which means that we would not be able to accurately say what would happen to you if you were to leave your home. But generally speaking, in most states you are still considered a minor which means if you were to run away, your parents would still be able to file a runaway report.

Running away is not illegal, it is rather just a status offense which means you are not allowed to do it because you are a minor. Typically, in most states, if you are found you would simply just be taken home to your parents. From what we have understood, you would not be put in jail for running away unless you are on some sort of probation. Like I mentioned, we are not legal experts but if you want to know accurately what would happen, we would suggest to either contact your local police department or the legal aid provided below:

COLORADO LEGAL SERVICES

Phone number: 970-493-2891

8:30am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm Monday to Friday

We wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you decide to do and remember that we are here 24/7 if you ever need any other resources. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Concerned

Hi, so I am a sophomore in high school, I will be 16 in a few weeks. I live in California. My boyfriend is 19 and lives in Arizona. I will be taking the CHSPE exam soon, and assuming I pass, I will be waiting a few months so I can get a job of some sort to save up some money. But when I turn 17, I want to move in with my boyfriend in Arizona. Is it legal for me to leave home? The certificate of proficiency will be the equivalent to my high school diploma, so that is not an issue. But assuming my mother will not approve right off the bat, am I allowed to leave on my own and go live with my boyfriend? Seeing as I will be able to provide for myself with a full time job and will be able to continue to go to a junior college and such, but not under her roof.

[ccsmod3]

Re: 17 year old wants to move out

Hello there,

Congratulations on working on your high school equivalency exam at 15, almost 16. (That’s quite an accomplishment and we hope you do well on your exam.) As far as the rest of your plan, we aren’t legal experts, but we can go over general legal questions and possible options. It sounds like you are pretty set on leaving home and staying with your boyfriend once you turn 17. Running away is considered a status offense in most cases and instead the laws tend to fall on the adults involved, in this case your boyfriend. Harboring a runaway, crossing state lines with a minor, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor are three crimes commonly associated with helping a runaway. Keep in mind we don’t judge, but these are potential risks you and your boyfriend may need to discuss before you move there.

If you don’t think your mom will approve of your move, we do have basic information on emancipation if you’d like to look into whether that is an option or not. For your state, it looks like there is a petition you can file with your local court to try for emancipation. You would need to go before a judge and they would look at the following criteria:

o Must be at least fourteen years old.
o Must be living apart from parents with their consent or acquiescence.
o Must be managing finances and have a legal source of income.
o The judge must find that emancipation is in best interest.
o The judge also wants to see that minor is in school or has a GED.

If we know your city, we can even look up your local court’s contact information if that is something you are seriously
considering. We are available to talk directly 24/7 by calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. Or, if you prefer talking online, we have live Chat in the evening. (Simply click the button below.) Hopefully this gives you a start and best of luck!

[Unregistered]

soon to be 17 need to move out, lives in Idaho and needs information

Hi my name is Sami and I am having a really difficult time at home. I am 16 and about to turn 17. I live in Idaho and I really dont know much about what they would allow. So I need to know is it legal to move out at 17 with-out parents consent. My parents are very controlling and cant take it anymore. I have a suicidal mom and my dad blames me constantly for the way she has been. She has tried to kill herself 2 times. I have no phone, no car. My parents dont allow me to be home by myself and so there are days where i find myself walking on the street with no way to contact anyone. I am finding myself getting super depressed. So i need help badly.