17 year old runaway law in Colorado

[Guest]

Hi i am 17 years old i will be 18 in 116 days in 3 months and 26 days there's a ton of problems at home i was wondering if i want to move out sooner would i be able too before my 18th birthday ? Will i get in trouble ?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like home is pretty overwhelming for you right now, and you are wanting to leave before you turn 18. Here at NRS, we want to help inform you and support you during this difficult time.

The easiest way you can leave home before you turn 18 is with your guardian's permission. This might be a difficult conversation to have, but legally you can stay anywhere that they say is okay. If you leave without permission before you turn 18, your guardians can attempt to file a runaway report for you with local police. Typically, if you are found by police you would be returned home. Police sometimes have different protocol for older 17 year old runaway youth. You might try to call your local police station's non-emergency number and anonymously ask questions about if they would take a runaway report for an older 17 year old and what that might look like.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to discuss your situation further. We might be able to help brainstorm additional options for you, and we are always here to provide support.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

[Guest]

Hello, If a 17 year old is reported as a runaway and the parents know where he is ( at a friends house where parents are not helping with thew situation) can the police be called to go pick up this boy at the friends house?

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
We’re not legal experts, but to our knowledge, if the police are able to locate a runaway, they will return him home. If you’d like to speak more specifically about the situation, please feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-786-2929. Best of luck.

[Guest]

Hello I am a concerned grandparent. My 17 year old granddaughter is have problems at home and plans on leaving. I want to bring her with me. How will that affect me with the law? Although I’m sure her Mother would’nt call the police on her if she leaves home and comes to mine.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us tonight. It sounds like you are concerned for your granddaughter but also want to make sure you are doing right by the law.

We are not legal experts, but if she leaves home and lives with you and her mother files a runaway report, she would most likely be returned home and you could face legal trouble for what is called harboring a runaway. If she does not file a report and gives her permission to stay with you then that would most likely not be the case. The best way to not have legal trouble would be to come to an agreement with her parents to let her stay with you. If you have questions about that you can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) as we are 24/7 and here to support and listen.

Good luck,

NRS

[Guest]

So my mom put her boyfriend above me in everything he was right when he was wrong he has hit me closed fist and choked me before mom didn't say anything which is understandable she didn't want to get involved but recently I was involved in a car wreck which had made me depressed and I was told by my step dad that I was just using that for attention which was the final straw for me so I left to a man's house who was my step dad I was a lot younger pretty much from birth till age 6 anyways my mom had sent a text saying it was ok for me to stay with said man but now she's refusing me the ability to go get my licenses or anything without her being there and I just don't want to be around her but I also want to get my license back so I can start helping with taking kids to school and getting to work but I'm scared to go through the process of getting my social security card and birth certificate and all the other stuff because my mom might get mad and try taking me back and thats the last thing I want so I'm kinda wondering after the permission she gave over text message (which is still saved) can she force me to go back

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

It sounds like you are in a tough situation because you don't want your mom to be mad but you want to get on with your life. We are glad you have a step dad that has allowed you stay with him and we're sorry to hear about all of the abuse that you experienced in your life. We want you to know that no one deserves to be treated like that and you would be able to file an abuse report against him. To get help abuse reporting or just to talk to someone about advice on abuse reporting you can contact Child Help at 1-800-422-4453.

We are not legal experts, but because you are 17 and still a minor, your legal guardian would still have guardianship over you and be able to possibly effect some of the things that you are trying to do. One thing you can do is call the number we gave you earlier and ask about how you could possibly have her custody transferred to someone else like your step dad. Another thing would be trying to have a conversation with her about getting those documents. We have a conference call service where a liner could mediate a conversation between you and her to help you feel safer voicing your concerns. You could also seek legal aid to see if there are ways to get those documents without your mom being present and ask about the legality of her text. If either of those things are what you would be interested in, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) so we can either do the conference call or find you legal aid in your area.

Let us know how we can best help,

NRS

[Guest]

I’m 17 and was wondering what would happen if I left Colorado to go back and live with my dad without my mom knowing.. could she still take me back considering I’m with my dad?

[ccsmod6]

Hi,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us tonight. Its understandable why you would be wondering about something like that, it is a good question.

We are not legal experts but as far as we know in most states if you leave home before the age of 18 you could be considered a runaway. Running away is not illegal but it is considered a status offense. What this means is that you likely will not get arrested or anything for running away but your parent could file a runaway report for you and the police would be looking for you and would have to bring you back home if they found you. Sometimes in some places police ma not take a runaway report for a youth who is 17, but that differs from police department to police department so you would likely have to call out to your local police department and ask to make sure.

Again, we are not legal experts, but we do know that sometimes things get tricky when a youth is trying to go to one legal guardian to another. So if your parents have split custody the information above may not totally apply to you. We are no too sure about what would happen in those kinds of cases, so it may be best to call your local police department to get a more definite answer.

If you need anything else please feel free to reach out to us again. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we are 24/7 so someone will always be here to answer and help as best as we can.

[Guest]

Is it possible to volunteerly leave your house at age 16 about to be 17 without a parents consent ? Or could the police still be called

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for reaching out. We are glad you took the time to reach out for some help during what sounds like a trying time.

We are not legal experts, but we can give information that applies to most parts of the U.S. In Colorado, the age of majority is 18, and so if you left home without parental consent, then you could be filed as a runaway to the police. Emancipation can be granted to minors who are 15-18 and have demonstrated independence from their parents in matters of care, custody, and earnings. Minors who are entirely self-supportive, married, or in the military. We can help you brainstorm what options you may have to better your living situation if you call us at 1-800-786-2929.

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

My daughter is 17 and is scheduled to move to Texas with her dad in one month. She is now refusing to move with him because she cannot take the puppy she just adopted without permission, and cannot live with me because I won't allow her non-compliant and verbally abusive behavior, nor the dog. She said she would rather be homeless with her dog than to give him up. What steps can we take to make sure she leaves with her dad to Texas? Can we get a court order? A police escort to get her to get in the truck? (which may not work, she is out of control, even to law enforcement) We don't know what to do, she will be 18 in January and she can then do whatever she wants, but until then we know we are responsible for her. PLEASE HELP!!!

[ccsmod4]

Reply: My daughter is 17 and is scheduled to move to Texas

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

We appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
It sounds like you are concerned about your daughter complying with your wishes for her to move with her father. We are not legal experts so seeking legal advice from a family court lawyer might be something to consider. One other option is to discuss if there is any possibility to let her keep her dog providing she agrees to take proper care of it.

If you would like to speak more about the situation ,please contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org (Live chat).
We hope that you are able to come to a suitable solution.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 15 and will be 17 in a few years. I need to get out of my house by 17, but i'm scared my family will drag me back and I will have to deal with my anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts while trying to take care of my siblings. I already have somewhere to go when I move out, and I know I will be taken care of. I just need to get out of the house at 17 because right now is too early.

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for contacting us! It takes a brave person to reach out for help. It sounds like you are planning on leaving home in a couple years and already have a plan, but you are worried about your mental health in the meantime. It is great that you have been planning ahead and have a safe place to stay in a couple years. Being responsible for taking care of your siblings can add more stress, and talking to someone can help you work through your thoughts and feelings. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a good resource for this. It sounds like you have suicidal thoughts. Your life is valued and you are an intelligent young person who has so much to offer the world. If you want to talk to someone about how you are feeling, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, is a great resource to help you heal. Once again, thank you for reaching out to us. It was very brave of you to be honest and open. If you would like to talk more about this or anything else, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-786-2929.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, im writing on behalf of my good friend, she is 16, and is in the process of running away, and currently hiding out in a friends house. She is consistantly verbaly abused, her parents both call her things like a "stupid **********" for not cleaning dishes, And have slapped her across the face in more than one occation. I have called the police reporting abuse, and she was told they cant do anything unless there is physical evidance.

I dont want her going back to that home. what would be the best course of action from here? I really need help.
We're in Colorado, so Colorado laws apply.

[ccsmod4]

Reply:Hi, I'm writing on behalf of my good friend




Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at 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 seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them.
It’s great that your friend has your support and concern, especially since this time is probably quite difficult for them.
Being abused is not the fault of your friend. They don’t deserve to have this happen to them.
There are laws to protect minors against abuse. If things do escalate and your friend would like to file an abuse report they may do so by contacting Child Help USA at: 1-800-422-4453
NRS can also assist with filing a child abuse report and assist with trying to locate a safe emergency shelter. We can also assist with trying to locate family crisis counseling services through our data base. Showing your friend support by reaching out to NRS says a lot about your character. They are lucky to have you as a friend.
NRS is here to listen and here to help.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of.

We are here as support to help both you and your friend through this challenging time.
We can best help by phone or chat. If you or your friend would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We hope to hear from you or your friend soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 15 and I dont get along with my father nor my mother. I am having suicidal though but mainly because of my dad. He verbally abuse me to the point where it affects me as a person and he physically abuses me. He either chokes me or he punches me when he gets mad. My mother on the other hand is abused by my father. My father cheated on her and I knew at a young age that he did so that messed up my image of him. This caused my mother to be bitter me and my siblings. I need help I feel sick I dont know what to do.

[ccsmod16]

Hello, we're very glad you reached out to us today. We're very sorry to hear what you're going through, and we're especially concerned to know that you are having suicidal thoughts and we want you to have the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - if you're thinking you might harm yourself, please call them at once. There are some options you might want to consider: if you want to call us, we might be able to find you a resource nearby and otherwise help with options. If you feel in danger of being hurt by your dad because he's being violent, you can certainly consider calling the police. You can also consider talking with Child Abuse authorities in your community as a way of getting help. Again, we would love to talk with you more about possible responses to your situation, and we hope you'll give us a call.