17, Leaving home in Alameda county, California.

[Unregistered]

Hello. I am 17 years old and live in Alameda County. Bay Area.

I am moving away from home, Or running away if you prefer that term, To Nevada. I am not running away to be with a girlfriend or chase some wacky dream. I am simply done here. I am not committing crimes to get by. I have a place to go and a legal means of supporting myself.

However, Im not sure to what extent I will be punished for this. Can they arrest me and send me home? Are they going to run me on the news or something?

Simply ''staying here'' is not an option. I am not using, nor have I ever, Drugs, Nor Alcohol. I am simply leaving for a better life. A chance.

Thanks for reading my story.

[ccsmod6]

re: Leaving home in Alameda county, California

Hi

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have decided to leave home and will have somewhere safe to go. Generally speaking, running away is not illegal and is often considered a status offense. Even though it is not a crime for you to runaway, it is illegal to abide or harbor a runaway. If you decided to leave home without permission, your legal guardians do have the right to file you as a runaway. Once filed as runaway, your name will get entered into a national database viewable by law enforcement agencies. The police do not actively search for runaways. However if you are identified as a runaway, the police will apprehend you, contact your parents, and make arrangements for you to return home. Sometimes it’s good to contact your local police department or a legal aid agency to determine if you can legally leave home at 17. In some States, you can legally move at 17. In some States, the police will not take a runaway report if the minor is 17. And sometimes depending on the proximity of your birthday, the police may or may not take a report.

We hope the information provided helps. Thanks for sharing your story with us. We want you to know that we can help you find a safe place if needed. We are anonymous, confidential, toll-free, and available 24/7. We can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Best Wishes
~NRS

[Unregistered]

turning 18 in november

I have a question. a person I know will turn 18 in November will the police make him return home.

[ccsmod4]

17,leaving home in Alameda county,California

Hi,
Thanks for posting your question.

The Legal age in California is 18 so if your friend were to leave home in November after turning 18 it's unlikely the police would take a runaway report or return him home to his parents.

We are not legal experts on the law so for more information concerning the majority age in California you could try contacting the none emergency number of your local police department.

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

[Guest]

My son E'Marion 14 yrs old and he has ran away from my mother house. Im his mother I leave in NY but I filed paperwork to get custody of him and his and younger brother. My mother is a server alcoholic and she is very verbal abusive to my kids.. Please help me find my baby.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us, we know that it takes a lot of courage to share your story. It sounds like you love your kids a lot and want to make sure that they're in a safe environment. They don't deserve to be treated that way by your mother. You can call the police to file a runaway report (this is normally filed by the legal guardian, but you may be able to file as his mother). Running away is a status offense, which means it isn't illegal per se, just something you can't do as a minor (like smoking). You can also call into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 800-843-5678 to report him missing to a national clearinghouse.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS