Running away in AZ

My boyfriend is 17 almost 18 he will be 18 in January. And the cops have been called. Can he get in trouble. His parents told him he wasnt allowed back at home but now they call the cops

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

We are sorry to hear about your father’s passing and the difficult situation with your mom at home. You sound like an extremely resilient person, and you deserve to live in an environment where you can communicate your feelings adequately and process your loss.

If you do choose to leave home before you turn 18, your mom can attempt to file a runaway report for you with your local police. Typically, running away is a status offense rather than being illegal so it would not go on your permanent record. It would put you in a police database as a runaway, and if you are found you typically would be returned home. If you are found far away from your mom, there is a possibility that you could be detained until she can come and get you. If you are found by police staying with a legal adult, that person could be at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. This is all dependent on whether or not your mom can file a runaway report for you. Sometimes local police departments do not take runaway reports for youth who are about to be 18. One way to get a better idea of your police department’s protocol is to anonymously call their nonemergency number and ask about their protocol for 17 year old runaways.

We strongly encourage you to call or chat us if you want to talk over your situation and help with brainstorming your options. We are here to listen and provide support.

We wish you the best and we look forward to hearing from you,

NRS

I'm seriously unhappy at my home, my father passed away and ever since then my mom has been giving me a hard time it's so difficult to have a proper conversation with her especially since English is her second language. I'm 17 and would be 18 in less than four months, if I left to live with my friend and his parents in another state (Rhode Island) is there any chance someone can stop me and take me home? I just wanna live with my friend until I'm 18 and get an apartment there. I tried to ask my uncle who lives there if I can move with him explaining that I'm unhappy here but he said if I work and all this nonsense he'll bring me up but that's around when I turn 18. I plan to get my GED in Rhode Island since I'm a dropout. So if I did move across country, what could happen?

[ccsmod0]

Re: Running away in AZ

Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. You sounds like a really brave person to share your story with us and also to have already called cps on your parents.
You questioned what would happen if you left home. We want you to know that we are not legal experts nor are we affiliated with the police so we can only speak generally about what could happen if a youth leaves home without the consent of a guardian. Leaving home without parental consent (running away) is not a crime, so the police will not arrest you. If you do leave home without permission your guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime it is a status offence (something that only a minor can get in trouble for: truancy, buying cigarettes, etc.) this means that if you have any interaction with the police they will simply return you home. On the other hand the people that you are found to be staying with could face legal consequences that vary depending on state. You can find out more about how runaway’s reports are carried out by contacting your local police department. If you would like we could contact your local non-emergency number for you or with you. Just give us a call and one of our trained liners would be happy to assist you.
Once again we are glad that you are asking these question and it just goes to show how strong and courageous you are. We will do everything in our power to help you and if you feel comfortable you can give us a call anytime 1-800- RUNAWAY

Re: Running away in AZ

hey im mistreated and threatened an feel unsafe an unhappy at home . i called cps but my parents yelled an such an told me to tell cps i lied an made it up... but i didnt and i tried to get away an it seems like its not working. im trapped in my house. im considering to run away an live with a friend an go to school. i just wanna know what will happen when my parents call for a runaway an will police find me an bring me back home... i cant go back home .. or will i get arrested an or will my NEW GUARDIANS have to pay charges. an when they do pay charges.. will i stay with them or still go back. and is it illegal to runaway in arizona buckeye.

[ccsmod7]

Re: Little brother

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us. It sounds like you care a lot about your brother and want to help him out. It sounds like he’s having a tough time enrolling in school and that it’s unclear of whether he’s of the age where he can be employed. If he is a minor, he is entitled to an education. Perhaps contacting the school district and asking what the steps are to becoming enrolled would be helpful in getting the process started.

As far as working in Arizona; we’re not legal experts, but you might find these websites helpful: http://www.youthrules.gov/ and http://www.ica.state.az.us/Labor/Labor_YouthE_main.aspx. These site have information about youth labor and employment.

We hope that this information is helpful and that you contact us directly if you or your brother want to continue discussing your situation.

Best of luck,
NRS

Little brother

We live in Arizona. I'm not sure if he can get a job or go to school. That website says not issued.

[ccsmod3]

Re: Little brother run away

Hello and thanks for reaching out for your brother on our forum. Sounds like you care for him a lot to try and figure out whether it’s possible to go to school or get a job while on the run. We aren’t legal experts; however, we can pass on information that might further direct you and possibly even give you some answers.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act helps homeless students which may extend to unaccompanied minors. This act typically follows an “enroll now, ask questions later” mentality which means there is a possibility they would wait before contacting a parent/guardian or in your brother’s case perhaps a case worker.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s website offers a list of which states require employment and/or age certification. You can check that out here: https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/certification.htm.

If we know for sure the city/state you and your brother live in we can try to find additional resources and we hope these help you for now. We also hope your brother has been able to keep himself safe while on the run and know we’re here if you or your brother need additional support or referrals. Good luck to you both!

Little brother run away

My little brother is 17 and ran away from a state facility that he was placed in after being taken from my father. He has contacted me but I don't know where he is exactly. He said he wants to go to school and get a job. How would he do that if he is a run away?

[ccsmod1]

RE: help

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out for help for your friend. We are really glad that you contacted us, and that your friend has you as a support. We are here to listen and help however we can. Nobody deserves to be abused or mistreated at home. You might think about giving your friend our 24 hour phone number, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), or letting her know that she can chat with us online every day between 4:30pm and 11:30pm Central Standard Time. All of our services are completely anonymous and confidential, and we can help your friend talk about what her options are. It sounds like you really want to help your friend. If you would like to call or chat, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Best of luck,

NRS

help

It's not really me but I have a friend that's about 14 she's constantly telling me that she dislikes her home and how harsh her living conditions are I've seen how she lives her family treat her badly and with luttke to no respect if you can give me advice to help her please

[ccsmod10]

RE: Running away in AZ

Hello again,

Unfortunately since we are not legal experts we do not know what the specific runaway laws are for Arizona. The best way to get the most direct answer would be to contact your local law enforcement and ask they what the laws are regarding runaways. If you’d like, you could call us and we would be more than happy to contact them along with you, or look up their number. You also mentioned wanting to get an ID to help you obtain employment. Have you tried contacting your local Motor Vehicle Department and asking how much it would cost to get a basic Identification Card? Your school may provide student ID’s as well.

We are here to provide you with any resources that may be of use to you, including helping you find legal aid or look up your local law enforcement number. We hope this helps, feel free to contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you luck.

- NRS

Well what do you know about run away laws in arizona? I would need an id to go to school, so could I get one once I turn 18 without worrying about anything?

[ccsmod10]

RE: Running away in AZ

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like you want to leave home and start out on your own. Just to let you know, we are not legal experts and cannot give legal advice or tell you what will or will not happen. However, we can explain what we know about the runaway laws.

Technically, in most places it is not against the law to run away from home. It is generally considered a status offense. One thing to keep in mind is that anyone that you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. This means that your legal guardians could press charges against anybody that you would be living with as a minor without their permission. Do you have a plan for a safe place to go?

You do have certain rights as a minor as well. You have the right to feel safe in your own home. You also have a right to go to school regardless of your living situation. Would you still plan on going to school if you left home at 16?

Typically once you turn 18 you are no longer considered a minor. It sounds like you have a plan on what to do once you are an adult. Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we would be glad to offer you any resources that may be of use to you or help you explore options. We can be reached at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time. We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

-NRS

I'm a 16 year old living in AZ. Is it illegal for me to run away? If I do run away, after I turn 18, can I get a job and an ID and stuff? I'll be legal then and can do whatever I want right?