17 year old runaway law in Colorado

Hello, im going to turn 17 here in a month and my mom told me to get out of the house because of personal issues i dont want to get into but anyways i didnt because where do i really go? So my aunt said if she ever says that again just come and live with her, my dad told me i could do whatever i want , and that i can move out its just i need to know where i have to stay first, my question is if i have a parent approval to live somewhere with FAMILY that i know would that really be "running away"? Or can she report me in that when she told to to get out

So I have a 17-year-old that I love with all my heart... It’s been up and down with her for a while. And they finally hit its peak when we had gotten into an argument and she threw her phone That ******** just got in not too long ago I told her she was grounded from her phone and then I took away the laptops that she couldn’t communicate through FaceTime because at the time she had a boyfriend that was out of state so she said she didn’t care about not having her phone .... After I’ve been searching the streets for her because it was after dark the last place I checked with her grandmothers because she doesn’t have a very good relationship with her nor do I so was the last place I checked...She ended up being there and of course I was a little bit upset that her grandma didn’t bother telling me that she was in there said I could stop worrying. Feeling a little bit betrayed I then went home they did end up coming to the house but honestly this was not a discussion for the grandmother this was a discussion between me and my daughter until she was ready apologize I said that they just needed to go. She ended up not staying at the grandmothers house and with the grandmother’s blessing stayed at one of her girlfriends house...And after a week or two there then moved to another person’s house....The grandmother and her in spite of the fact that she doesn’t get along with her and does not want to live with her....Being that my daughter is not working and needs money has now become friends or at least it’s OK with the grandmother in order to finance her new rule free lifestyle... I did not report her as a runaway because I wanted her to be able to finish school... And I certainly didn’t think that it would take this long for her to come to her senses but God only knows the sob stories that have been said.. Not only that but I would rather her at least be in a safe environment with the parents present then on the street as a runaway and possibly being put in a position where she needs to earn her keep from older man that could support her. Because she is 17 I didn’t want her to make any more rash decisions that could affect her life the rest of her life... And when school starts up again and she walks through the doors I didn’t want please officers to arrest her for being around away causing her to not finish high school because I do want her to go to college she is super smart. Due to the COVID-19 as well Not having family support. Emotionally mentally physically and financially where we are living is not where we need to be for the rest of the family as well as myself. So for the rest of her siblings Welfare I have decided to move not a state still in State... And honestly would love for her to come to. But there would be rules and she is dead set on she is grown. What do I do because I don’t want to discourage or make it hard for her to be able to finish school and pursue a good life and go to college but I don’t want Life to be harder for her to continue to go to school or college. Nor do I want the people that she staying with to get charges of harboring a runaway because like I said I’m happy that she’s at least in a safe environment there could be worse situations but at the same time due to the fact that there is a little bit of manipulation going on I also have To know that I am also legally protected. I Could really use some input

[ccsmod15]

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out during this difficult time We are so sorry to hear that your fled your parents home due to their homophobia. You have every right to feel safe and wanted in your own home. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and especially in a time where you have a really tough situation at home. You can report the abuse to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 if that is something you are comfortable with. If staying at home doesn't feel like a safe option to you right now, please give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY so we can be able to talk through your options on where to stay and give you specific resources in your area. You can look up some of these options yourself using: 211.org or the nationalsafeplace.org. You also mentioned you were in a hospital for feeling suicidal, the National Suicide Hotline is also a good resource to reach out to. We hope that you are able to get in touch with a case worker or social worker after reporting the abuse who can help you find safe placement. Please give us a call if you would like to discuss further options.

Im a 17 year old in Colorado. I came out to my parents and they reacted very poorly. They said that they couldn't have a gay person living in their home. So out of fear for my own safety I left that night. I was with a friend for two days before my parents figured out where I was and threatened to call the cops if I didn't come. SO I came and am staying at a families house from my church becuase my parents cant have me home right now. We are doing therapy and they wont bend. DHS was called on them and they called me selfish for lying to someone enough that they thought they needed to report. My parents are highly emotionally abusive and have trends of physical abuse. I need to know what my rights are. I cannot go back but they are threatening to make me. I don't feel safe. Earlier this year I was in a a mental hospital for suicide and depression and my mom asked me why i couldn't just be okay. I need to know if I can run away without being brought back. Please help

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like there are several issues you are having either about the relationship between your parents the one they have with you.
It seems to be causing you a bit of frustrations. We understand how difficult situations can make things feel somewhat overwhelming and you just want to find an option out of it. Self –care is important so you did a good job by reaching out today to NRS.
We are not legal experts but we offer some general information on the emancipation laws in Colorado. A juvenile over fifteen years of age and under eighteen years of age who has, with the real or apparent assent of the juvenile's parents, demonstrated independence from the juvenile's parents in matters of care, custody, and earnings. Etc.
To gain more information you might consider contacting the legal services listed below.
BOULDER CO LEGAL SERVICES

Phone number: 303-449-7575

8:30am-5:00pm Monday to Friday

Fort Collins

COLORADO LEGAL SERVICES

Phone number: 970-493-2891

8:30am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm Monday to Friday
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Take care,
NRS

I’m 15 and in Colorado and very unhappy with my home life. I have a plan of a place I can move when I’m 16. But I don’t know the runaway laws. Can you file for emancipation at sixteen in Colorado? My parents never trust anything I say and all they do is complain about how they want to get divorced but won’t because I still live at home. My parents have also proven to have given my brother a very very hard time when he was around my age. But I’m not sure if they’d call the police and file runway on me. Because they never did for my brother when he would leave. What all do you need to file for emancipation? I really need to get out of my home. And I have a friend’s mom who wants me to move in with them to get me out of there. How can I go about this? Thanks

[ccsmod7]

Thank you so much for reaching out to NRS. We are so sorry you are experiencing abuse at home by your parents. No child should be harmed in anyway by their parent.

We here at NRS are not legal experts. We are also unfamiliar with the rule about a willing runaway that you are referring to. What we know is that often times running away is considered a status offense and is not illegal. Police will only return you home if there is a runaway report on file, and so it may be helpful to consider if your parents would file one. It is also up to the discretion of the police as to how they would handle your case since you are so close to being 18. It could be a good idea to anonymously call the non-emergency police line and ask how they normally handle these situations. Police, also, will not return youth home to unsafe situations. It could be could be worth considering filing an abuse report to avoid being put back into an unsafe situation. We realize this can be a really difficult decision, but we would be happy to help support you in doing this if you gave as a call.

It sounds like you have really put some thought into this, and we are glad to hear that it sounds like you have some figures in your life of support. We really appreciate you reaching out. If you want to talk through any more of your options or want to discuss making an abuse report, we would be happy to help you. You can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). Again, thank you so much for contacting us.

Best of luck,

NRS

Hi, I’m 17 and I’m fixing to turn 18 in about 5 months. I’ve been in an abusive home for as long as I can remember. And it’s just getting worse with my parents. It’s all because I refuse to break up with my boyfriend. I can take care of myself financially, I’ve been paying my own bills sense I was 16, But if I runaway from home and move in with my grandparents could I still be forced to move back into an unsafe home? I’ve done a bunch of research and it said in the state of Colorado a willingly runaway 17 year old will not be forced by the police to go home if not proven to be in any danger. Is this also true?

[ccsmod4]

My girlfriend is 16 and i am 18


Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We are not legal experts so we are only able to offer general information.

If a report is filed with the police, a runaway may be detained and returned home to their parent or guardian. Running away is not considered a criminal act but a status offense with the report being removed once the runaway is recovered.
However to your point you should note that anyone considered to be aiding or harboring someone that has been reported as a runaway could face legal charges.
Anytime there is a matter where the minor is being abused in the home by a parent, guardian etc. They have the right to file a child abuse report with child services.
To do so they might consider contacting Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org
To learn more about the runaway laws in your state contact the non-emergency number to your local police department.
Hours are most likely normal business hours 9am-to 5pm.
You can usually find the non-emergency number online.
Another option is to seek legal counsel. You may be able to locate some legal aid resources in your area by searching online.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Take care,
NRS

My girlfriend is 16 and i am 18 she is turning 17 fairly soon, unfortunatly not only has her mother his her on numerous occasions for her self harming. But she has had me pay all the bills for the last 4 months. I'd lile to take my girlfriend away, as i am ready to face any and all legal consequences. I suppose my only question is if i cross state lines is it a heavier offense ? Will i have a chance to explain and perhaps show that i was doing it for the well being of a minor ? or will we simply be swept under a large blanket of statistics who get swept away in the system ? Also if i should find myself in court can i her boyfriend have a legal counsil show that her parent is unfit ?

[ccsmod13]

Hi, thanks for reaching out to NRS!

This is a really great question. We are not legal experts; however, from what we know if you leave home without permission then your parents can report you as a runaway. This is not illegal, so you would not be arrested. But if the police know where you are then they might return you home. Because you are so close to 18, the police are not necessarily going to consider this an urgent matter or actively search for you. In some cases, the police do not consider you a runaway at 17. The best way to know for sure what the protocol is in your area is to call the local police department's non-emergency number to ask questions which can be done anonymously.

We want to support you through this decision to leave and anything that follows. We are available 24/7 by phone (800-786-2929) and chat if you would like to talk more about your next steps.

Good luck,
NRS

If im 17 and 6 months and I want to run away, will the cops try to file it or will they leave it be since im almost 18? I also live in colorado so I just curious before I decide to actually leave.

[ccsmod7]

Hi there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you are going through a lot at home, and you were reported as a runaway after leaving home last night to return a device to your friend.

Unfortunately, from our general knowledge, at 16 or 17 you cannot call police and take yourself off of their runaway list due to being a minor. Generally, 18 is the age you become a legal adult and can leave home without permission. It sounds like your parents said something that could be seen as them giving you permission to stay. Unfortunately, permission is not legally binding, so they do have the right to go back on it and report you as a runaway if you do not come home.

Generally speaking, if you are found by police while listed as a runaway you could be returned home. Your friend could be at risk of your parents attempting to charge them with harboring a runaway if they are 18 or older. Due to your age and situation, it might be hard for your parents to press those charges but it is always a risk we want to warn folks about.

We know this information might not be what you were wanting to hear. Please do not hesitate to call or chat if you have questions, need resources, or need to talk: 1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org. We can explore your situation, go over all your options, and come up with a plan and resources to deal with your situation over the phone or on live chat.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

-NRS

Hi I'm 16 and 17 in 29 days, I ran away from home last night because I was holding onto a device for my friend and had a spare phone that my parents wouldn't allow me to have. My parents were verbally and emotionally abusing me with there words while calling me names and such. My parents filed me as a runaway also last night and I was wondering how I can tell the police that I'm not a runaway and that they told me to leave home and return my friends things and I qoute " stay as long as long as it takes till she gets her things back from you" so once I was done returning the devices I had walked to a friends house for support. I'm so lost on what I can do without having to go back home because I will be 17 in 29 days and I don't want to go back. I also don't want to get my friends parents in trouble.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what's been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. If your daughter is still a minor you can file a runaway report. We aren't legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, running away isn't illegal but it is considered a status offense (like smoking underage, etc.) so she won't be in any legal trouble. Once the report is filed the police will look for her and if located they will return her to you.

It sounds like you care about your daughter a lot; this must be really exhausting. One resource that could be helpful is Team HOPE (Help Offering Parents Empowerment) or missingkids.org/teamhope - it's a support group for parents who have runaway and missing children.

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