17 year old runaway law in Colorado

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

[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.

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?

[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

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 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

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.

[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.

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?

[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

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 ?

[ccsmod6]

Hi,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us! Your question is a really great one. The answer can be a little bit tricky. So as you might know normally when a youth leaves home before the age of 18 they are considered a runaway. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense which means most of the time the police would have to bring you back home if they found you. If you're facing abuse at home you could always tell the police about what is going on, and they would likely investigate the situation and get child protective services involved. Sometimes police departments don't take runaway reports for 17 year olds or sometimes won't make 17 year olds go back home if they're in a more stable environment and are safe. This tends to differ from police department to police department, though, so it might be best to call out to your local police department and see what exactly they would do about the situation.

We wish you the best of luck with everything! If you want more information or would even like us to call out to your local police department for you please don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we are 24/7 so someone will always be here to answer.

Hello, i was just wondering that if i were to runaway at 17 and my parents were to file a runaway report, can the police force me to go back home if i refuse to go with them? What could happen if i refuse?

[ccsmod2]

Hello,

Thanks for your question. We are a non legal service. If you are a minor, it is unlikely that running away means you will go to jail. Running away means your guardians are responsible for you, so they can contact the police if you choose to leave. You can be made to go back home if the police decide to do so. If you would like more information you could ask a caseworker for additional information.

Good luck,

NRS

Hi, I am 17 years old. I am in foster care. I feel the need to run away for personal reasons. But I don't know what would happen, especially if I am in the system. I tried to ask to get moved or emancipated. But both answers were flat out no's. Can I go to jail for running away?