runaway 17 turning 18 in 3 months

[Unregistered]

Hi im planning to leave my parents house soon i have to much conflict with my whole family iv ranaway before stayed on the streets but this time im planning to stay with my boyfriend in orgen his aunt has a place for us and can get us jobs i finished high school at at 16 1/2 and i was working for a while i was just wondering if i runaway will i get in trouble with the law will i have to go back home to my parents since im close to being 18 if they dont find me and i turn 18 can it still be reported that im a runaway i live in california planning to go to oregon

[ccsmod3]

Re: runaway 17 turning 18 in 3 months

Hello there,

We’re glad you reached out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear about the conflict you are having with your family. It sounds like you’ve got a lot going on and are seriously considering running away. You ask if you can still get in trouble with the law and have to go back home to your parents since you are close to being 18. We are not legal experts, but can provide general information about what tends to happen in runaway situations. You mentioned you have run away before, but if you aren’t on probation or anything running away is normally a status offense. So, it isn’t exactly illegal, but minors are just prohibited from taking certain actions due to their age.

The laws usually fall on the adults helping the runaways. Harboring a runaway and crossing state lines with a minor are commonly considered crimes in runaway situation. Whether these charges get pursued and to what degree may depend on what action law enforcement as well as your family decides to take. If you would like to further discuss your situation and options, please contact us directly. We offer Live Chat every day from 4:30 to 11:30pm CST (Red button on http://www.1800runaway.org) if you prefer online communication. We also offer a 24 hour crisisline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929.) Hopefully this gives you a start and best of luck!

-NRS

[Guest]

i will be 18 in 4 months. my dad does not have custody of me.. and my mom let me move to columbus with my aunt... i now stay with my dad... if i was to run away now. would it be illegal?

[ccsmod2]

Hey,

It sounds like you have some legal questions. We are not legal experts but from what we know, running away isn't illegal. But it is a status offense meaning it is looked down upon because of your age. And if the police come in contact with you, they would likely send you back home. If you have other questions about runaway laws in your area you can reach out to your local non emergency police for more information.

Take care,
NRS