17 year old runaway law in Colorado

[Guest]

I am 16 and a half turning 17 next February and I was wondering what the laws are if I were to move out when when I turn 17. My parents and I haven't gotten along since their divorce and while it's not abusive it has been causing a strain on my already fragile mental stability. I am planning to get a job and move in with some friends next summer but am worried my parents will call the cops on me. If I do it without their direct permission but let them know where I'm living still can I do this? Or will they still be able to force me back home by calling the cops?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I am 16 and a half turning 17

Hello,
Thanks for contacting 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.
Just so that you know we are not legal experts and only can provide some general legal information when it comes to someone running away or someone assisting/aiding a person running away.

Someone under 18 that leaves home, the parent/guardian may file them as a runaway and they may be returned home. Also, those that a reported runaway stays with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. Anyone found to be assisting or aiding someone to run away may also find themselves at risk legally. For more specifics on the law, you might consider contacting the local non-emergency number for the police. You might also look for a legal aid center in the area. They may be able to answer any legal questions on the subject.

If you would like to talk more in detail we are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you.

If your friend should ever be at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage them to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).


Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am 17 in Colorado I’ll be 18 in 8 months and I almost ran away tonight but I thought it best I wouldn’t because I am unsure of the consequences. I am having a lot of problems at home with my parents and feel like I really can’t go on anymore being with them but they are way too overprotective to let me go anywhere. Although I have my drivers license they won’t let me get a car or insurance and now are forcing me to quit me job just because they don’t like my boyfriend. If I run away, will the person I go to for help be in trouble for harboring me in any way? And if so, does it matter who I go to? For example my boyfriend versus my grandpa. Also is there any way I am allowed to stay with someone else for a short period of time without their permission?

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We're sorry to hear about all that you have been facing and want you to know that you have the right to feel safe and happy in your home. We are not legal experts but generally speaking, if you leave while still 17, your parents could file a runaway report and you could be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. One thing you can do is reach out to your local police to inquire how they handle runaway reports for 17 year olds. Some cities and departments treat them differently because a 17 year old is so close to becoming a legal adult. The way to get the most accurate information would be to call your local police non-emergency number and anonymously inquire about their practices. The harboring a runaway law would apply the same to anyone that you ran away to and also it wouldn't matter whether you stayed somewhere for a short or long period of time. If a runaway report is filed, any of those consequences could happen. If you need help finding this number or you want to walk through any other options you have, we can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

Hello. I'm a 20 year old who is best friends with a 16 year old. Her father is physically abusive and her and her mom don't get along. She told me that if I can't get her out of the house she's going to kill herself. What are the rules for someone to take someone else out of the situation? Please help me. I don't want to loose a friend and a sister.

[ccsmod10]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS via our forum. We appreciate you looking out for your friend and being a support for them. We hope our response will be helpful.

It sounds like home life your friend is really stressful, due to the abuse. Abuse is never okay, no one deserves to be hurt in any way, no matter the situation. A minor (18 and under) who is being abused at home, always has a right to report that abuse. If your friend ever wanted to make an abuse report or explore more what the reporting process looks like, Child Help is the National Child Abuse Hotline (800) 422-4453, can walk them through that. They also help youth find ways to have their custody transferred to safe adult or family member in their life. NRS is also able to make abuse reports, if you wanted to pass along our information to them, so they can call into our safeline.

Talking to school counselors or teachers about his situation, could provide them with additional support. We have heard of some cases when parents do file a runaway report, they can press charges on a friend's family for harboring a runaway (adults over the age of 1. Harboring a runaway is when they are not giving accurate information on the youth’s whereabouts, or do not give the youth up if the police come. Harboring a Runaway is a misdemeanor and fairly hard to prove. We rarely hear about that charge, parents of the runaway must take the case to court and pay for the fees, etc. Lastly, we do have a database of resources. We would be happy to look for legal aid resources, they may know more about ways for her to legally move out early.

Again, thank you for reaching out to us and looking out for your friend. It sounds like you’re doing your best to be supportive. If you or your friend would like to talk more about the situation, don’t hesitate to call out to our 24/7 safeline or use our chatting services.


Be well, NRS

[Guest]

I am 15 can I leave home

[ccsmod2]

Thank you so much for reaching out to NRS, we are here to help and we are here to listen. We are not legal experts, but in most states in order to leave home you must be 18 years old. Running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense so the police would most likely bring you back home if your parents were to file a runaway report. Also if you were staying with someone they could potentially be charged with harboring a runaway. Your safety is our top priority so if you are thinking of leaving home you could think of places you would go such as a family or friends house. Also ways you would survive such as getting food. If staying with a friend or family member is not an option you may want to look into shelters in your area. If you would like we could provide you with some once we know your city and state. Again Thank you for reaching out to NRS we are here 24/7 so if you would like to discuss your situation further feel free to chat or call us.

[Guest]

Hi I’m 17 years old, and I want to know a few things, Me and my mom are working with CPS, Child Protective services, and the reason to why I’m with my mom is because my father has been abusing me for years and I told my mom everything of what he has been doing to me and she decided to help me. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, Post dramatic distress, and the CPS woman told me if the cops show up to my house I can deny to to be returned, because California does not have jurisdiction in Colorado, my dad lives currently in El Centro California and he’s trying to gain my custody and I’m denying to go back to him, I was even told if the judge tells me to return to my father, I can deny and the judge can’t really do anything, I need help with advice, I need to know if CPS can really help me.

Thank you if you respond.
My name is Daniel J.

[ccsmod9]

We want to thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that often times life gets hard and it is even harder to seek help and support. However we hope that we can listen and help in any way we can.
Though we are not legal experts from what we can say is that if CPS is already involved then you are in safe hands. CPs would investigate into your case and would not send you anywhere unless they knew that you would not be abused. So yes CPS is definitely as good start. Know that cases take time and things sometimes go slowly. If you feel safer with you mom then that is a good thing and something CPS will take into account. At the end of the day our hope is that you might be able to have resources available to you and be able to make your own decisions based on what you consider is okay for you.
Again we want to thank you for reaching out to us. We know that it took a lot for you to reach out and we want you to know we value your story and all that you’ve been through. We hope that you can find a solution to your current situation. If you do happen to have more questions or concerns please do not hesitate to call us at (1-800-786-2929) or online at (www.1800runaway.org ) on our chat option.
Best Wishes-NRS

[Guest]

Hello. I'm not a runaway right now, but I've been considering it. I've been very stressed out from school. My teachers are all very rude, but my home life is fine I suppose. I've had really bad depression for the past couple years because my mother used to abuse me and my older sister. She does not live with me right now, and isn't with my dad, but I have constant horrible flashbacks to what she did. It's been 2 years, but it feels like yesterday. My stepmom and my dad are very nice, but my dad has recently started threatening to put me back with my mom because I'm not doing great in school. (I'm in 7th grade by the way) I get a lot of things I don't deserve. I feel like a spoiled brat. I've had multiple mental breakdowns because of school and stress, and I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't keep going to this school, but my dad is making me. He won't let me do homeschool or anything even though I explained to him before the school year started that I didn't want to go to normal school. It's not like I always have to get what I want, but he didn't even take it into consideration for a second. If I keep going to that school, I think I'll literally go insane. I can't take the stress anymore. I don't want to leave my dad, but it's the only option I have.

[ccsmod3]

Hello,
Thanks for reaching out to us in a difficult time. It sounds like you have been thinking this through and really trying to look out for you mental health, which is important. It seem like you have a positive relationship with your dad and the stress is coming a lot from your school where there is a lot of pressure and how the teachers treat you. It may be good to revisit the topic of figuring out how to get support with what your experiencing at school and the depression you have been going through.

You could seek help is reaching out to a friend, teacher, or counselor at school that can help you look for resources. Your mental health is important. You can also look at SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at samhsa.gov (call them directly at 1-877-726-4727) or NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI to help you find the support that you need. If you do ever feel in direct danger, to yourself, or some else makes you feel that way, please call out to 911 or reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255).

It can be difficult to know how to talk to your parents and express your feelings about how you are feeling. At NRS, we do offer a service call conference calling, where you can call into our hotline and then we would reach out to your guardian and help advocate for you, help you express the needs you have to your parents.
We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Please feel free to call into us directly as we can talk further about your situation and find resources that are best for you in your area. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our hotline ( 1-800-RUNAWAY) and chat are open 24/7.

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 support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey.

Tell us what you think about your experience!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

Hello, I'm a 17 year old and I just moved back to Colorado a few months ago. When I was 16 I moved to WY to do a program called job corps. Well, I graduated from high school and everything and because I'm under 18 I had to move back in with my mom. My mom and I don't get along, so sense I have been back we have gotten in so many fights and everything. Anyways when I was seven I was diagnosed with both 1 and 2 bipolar disorder. And now that I am older I don’t believe that I am bipolar, so I refuse to take my meds. Well, my mom is now threating to have me locked up in the mental hospital so they can get me back on my meds. Well, I just started college and if I miss a few days I will be dropped out of the program. What can I do? I don’t want my meds, but I don’t want to be a college dropout. She constantly is throwing me out and now it has gotten to the point where I still have half of my stuff packed up.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hello, I'm a 17 year old...



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 would like to be of assistance to you if we can. It is times like these that would be nice to have a listening ear. It is also important that you remember to exercise self-care. Would you consider a reexamination? We understand if that is not something not up for consideration. Another consideration is to weigh options for living apart from your mother again. Options might look like a college dorm, independent living programs that provide shelter or housing.
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 so that we might learn a little more about your situation and how we might assist you. 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).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS


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: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

Im asking this out of curiosity for a friend. My close friend recently was listed as a runaway due to leaving the abusive household until she turns 18. She will be 18 in like two weeks, will she still be counted as a runaway or would she be safe to come out of hiding?

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you and your friend have been going through a tough time, but we are here to support you and your friend and help in any way we can.

We’re not legal experts here at NRS, but generally, once a youth turns 18, they can no longer be considered a runaway. They would not have to stay with their parents once they are a legal adult. You could consider calling your local nonemergency police department to ask about their policies. We also have legal aid resources here if you have specific questions about the laws in your state.

We want you to know that no one deserves to be abused, and your friend should not have to go through that. Also, if your friend hasn’t already, she could consider reporting the abuse she’s been experiencing. If you want more information about abuse reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 or you could call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

If you and your friend haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support. She could also consider talking to her parents about how she’s been feeling. Just so you’re aware, we have a conference calling service here where we could help mediate a conversation between her and her parents.

It sounds like all of your friend’s struggles are making her want to leave home. If she does decide to leave home, she could consider thinking about ways to make sure she stays safe. She could explore ways she would pay for food, shelter, clothing and other necessary things. She could think about how long she would stay away, where she would stay, and what things would be like when she returns. She could consider what she would do if she felt that she was in danger or had an emergency.

There are also many resources that could help you and your friend find a safe place if she’s in need or help with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Again, thank you for contacting us. It sounds like you and your friend have been going through a hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.

[Guest]

Hi I am 17 and live in Colorado and would like to live with my Mom full time but my Dad said he would report me as a runaway. My parents have 50-50 custody. I love my Dad but just more comfortable at my Moms. What can I do?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are not legal experts but we do have general knowledge of the laws. Because you are a minor your father still has the right to file a runaway report. Most likely if the police found you they would most likely bring you back home. Because your parents do have 50/50 custody that may make things a little different. To find the best answer it may be best to call your local non-emergency police department. You can call them anonymously and ask them about how they would handle a runaway with your situation. If you would like us to call and ask you can always call us. We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to talk more please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support.
We wish you the best of luck, and remember to stay strong.
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 17, I live in Colorado. can I get in trouble with the state and my parents if I run away from a physically and verbally abusive home? Will I be forced to return home? Every time we get into a fight/ argument they tell me to leave but when i try to they threaten to call that cops on me. i don't like the environment i'm in and i'm beginning to fear my own safety

[ccsmod2]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and sharing a little bit about what is going. 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.

It can be difficult to talk to your parents and express your feelings given the situation. We would encourage you to reach out to a trusted adult, teacher, relative, and friend that you can talk to and potentially help you mediate a conversation with your parents about your current situation. At NRS, we do offer a service call conference calling, where you can call into our hotline and then we would reach out to your guardian and help advocate for you, help you express the needs you have to your parents. . You mentioned them threatening to call the police if you leave, running away is not a legal offense. If the police were to find you, they would bring you back to your legal guardians. There are no legal consequences for you leaving, however, your safety would be a big concern

We are here for you and will support you in any way that we can. Please feel free to call into us directly as we can talk further about your situation and find resources and come up with a safe plan. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY) and chat are open 24/7.
-NRS

[Guest]

If your daughter is in an emotionally draining and she has been self harming herself relationship where her boyfriend is 18 and you told her to choose between him or your parents and she chose him is there anything the parents can do to make sure she is safe?

[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

[Guest]

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.

[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