running away to another state

[Guest]

Hello i ran away the cops came to search mg buddies house but didnt find me if i keep hiding until im 18 could the cops find me if im always on the move?

[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. We aren't legal experts here at NRS, but, if you left home your guardians can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report (it seems like they may have already done this). Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned home. If you have still not returned home and turn 18 then the police can contact you to male sure you are OK but will leave you where you are since you would be an adult.


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.

Stay safe,
NRS

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[Guest]

If there’s a runaway report on my name ,can I still leave to Mexico ?

[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. Unfortunately we are not able to tell you yes or no about being able to leave the country while being a runaway. If your name is run through the police data base it would show if there was a runaway report on you.

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).

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m trying to runaway with this girl any ideas what state would be fine to make a decent living

[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. Sorry but we don’t have any information we could give you on that. You might consider checking online for states with best job opportunities.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you during 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 about your situation or explore some options, 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

[Guest]

Hi I’m 16 I have runaway for the fourth time but this time I’m out of the state.
Will the police come to another state to find me, I’m never going back even if they do find me I will just keep running away my family is abusive.

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to write us here at NRS. While we are not legal experts, we can speak generally on this. Your parents or legal guardians can report you as a runaway to the police if you leave without permission. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This basically means your parents can ask police to return you home if you are found. In most cases the police do not actively search for someone who ran away but they will follow up on information your parents have and the check the places where your parents suggest you might be. If you come into contact with law enforcement in any state your name will be flagged as a runaway. From what we know, the local police can coordinate with police departments in other states if they know where you are staying.

Your safety is a priority and we want you to know that you are not alone in this. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or through live chat 1800runaway.org if you would like to talk more about your situation.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello, I’ve looked through some of these comments and would first like to say thank you for helping people with these situations and giving people advice. I have a few questions, first I’ll explain the situation. My friend from Utah has a horrible home life, he is extremely poor and is treated poorly at home. He wants to run away to California and live with my mom and me. However he has 3 younger siblings and doesn’t know what to do with them. He loves his mom however she is an unfit parent, no abuse goes on it’s just a horrible home life. My friend has not been in school in over a year and truly believes that he has no future going on for him because he can’t even attend school. My friend and I are hoping that he can move in with me, do schooling here (my district requires a legal guardian though to apply for school so we don’t know what to do there), and get a job so he can support his mom and siblings back in Utah. We have been doing research about emancipation in Utah but 1. He can’t independently manage his financial affairs (his mom won’t let him get a job) and 2. If he were to emancipate himself he isn’t sure what would happen to his siblings. My questions are 1. If he were to runaway is there any way he could receive schooling in a different state (Cali) 2. Is there any way that my mom could avoid legal troubles 3. If he were to run away and his mom filed a missing person’s report what would happen if he was essentially found (like would my mom get in trouble for harboring a runaway) 4. Is there any advice you could give? We are doing a lot of research but it is so hard to simply find the right answers online. He wants to runaway but is super worried about what would happen to his family.

[ccsmod4]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent/guardian permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, they may file you as a runaway and if picked up by the police you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, contact the local non-emergency number to the police or legal aid may better answer legal questions. To learn more about continuing education while being a runaway/homeless minor you might consider contacting National Center for Homeless Education 1 -(800) 308-2145 nche.ed.gov/

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 you 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).


Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi,
my home is very bad for me to be at and I want to run away from Oklahoma to Texas I’m 15 and I don’t know the laws of it all. I have an older sister there who is an adult and said she can take care of me. Is that legal?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). 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 you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission even if they are staying with biological family. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
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 you 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).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

My name’s Adelaide, I’m 15 and currently in Nevada. My parents are emotionally and mentally abusive toward me and I’ve been thinking of running away with my girlfriend (14) but she’s in Maine. We both are in pretty bad situations and both desperately want to leave. We want to leave the country once we’re both legal age to do so but it keeps getting worse at home. What would be the best option?

[ccsmod15]

You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against your parents. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
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 forum to assist you. If you 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 this helps. Please reach out if we can offer any further support.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m gonna leave. I’m 15 and I feel like I need to leave or I’m gonna end it. I’m not worried about what will happen to me but will the people letting me stay with them will they get in trouble for harboring a runaway? I’ve been on a 51/50 hold for an attempt and I have run away three times already is there a loop where the people won’t get in trouble or am I better off at a runaway home?

[ccsmod4]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent/guardian permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, they may file you as a runaway and if picked up by the police you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, contact the local non-emergency number to the police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
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 you 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).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm planning on running away from my abusive household (I'm 19), and I don't have my license, how hard would it be to become a resident in the New York area? I'm moving in with my boyfriend and my parents know nothing about this plan. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[ccsmod0]

Since you are 18 you are more than likely considered a legal adult which means that you can move out if you want to and you won’t be considered a runaway. As a legal adult, you have a right to make your own decisions about where you live. We can help you make a plan for how to deal with your situation and help you find resources to land on your feet. Having a plan for where you will live and how you will survive once you move out can be very helpful. Moving can be a huge step, and you don’t have to be alone. Some steps you can take towards independence might be to find employment if you don’t have an income, or to save up money for moving expenses. It can also be helpful to research rents in your area, find a roommate, or make a budget. Another thing you might want to consider is what kinds of things you depend on your parents for currently such as tuition expenses for school, or health insurance, and whether they would continue to provide those things after you leave. There may be social service agencies in your area that can help meet some of these needs, such as Transitional Living Programs, a kind of shelter where young adults can live and get services to help them transition to independent living. We are a national organization, so we can't speak to the process of becoming a resident in a specific state, but we are here to listen and help however we can.

[Guest]

Hello my name is Joey, I’m 16 years old and live in Colorado, I want to run away to Laguna Beach, California and I only have 160 to spend. I don’t have a car or anyone to live with therefore my biggest concern is how can I make it to California without dying. Do u guys have ways to help me make it there alive. Also the whole plan is that I will run away there and basically be homeless till I can find a job and other stuff. I’ve never ran away before and I’m wondering how hard this will be to make it there without getting caught by police. Is it possible for me to walk there or do I have to hitchhike somehow? Please help quick.

[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 you are considering running away from home but have some questions about survival.
NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We would be glad to speak with you about strategies or options that might help you to cope better with your situation.
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 about your situation and 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).

You did a wonderful job reaching out today. Good for you.
We look forward to hearing from you.


Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi! My 16 year old friend that lives in oregon is considering running away from home to me in california. Which states runaway law would apply here?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen.
It is great that you are reaching out to us on behalf of your friend, it shows that you are a supportive friend.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on what may happen. So if your friend decided to run away Oregon laws would apply. Because your friend is a minor their legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police were to find them they most likely would be brought back home. Also it is a possibility whoever they stay with could potentially get in trouble for harboring a runaway.
We can help your friend explore more options and we can also talk further about their situation. We are here 24/7 by chat or by phone. Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, thank so much for just being here, I can not stand another day in my house. I was thinking of taking a greyhound to somewhere far away but I do not know where. I was think maybe I can run away to another state and turn myself into child services and I can be in foster care. I am 16 and if I run away would I be able to buy I ticket for myself? Would I be able to go and turn myself into child services and go into foster care? And where would be the best place to go I live in Pittsburgh, PA.

[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 you are going through some troubled times at home. We understand that sometimes things may become overwhelming. You did a wonderful job reaching out today. Good for you.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We would be glad to speak with you about strategies or options that might help you to cope better with your situation.
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 about your situation and 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).
For shelter services etc. in your area you might consider contacting Three Rivers Youth at (412) 243-5638 www.threeriversyouth.org

You did a wonderful job reaching out today.



Take care and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I want to run away from an abusive house hold and live with my friend in the west coast. I’m in the south east. I’m a minor but I simply cannot stay and take the abuse. I have a plan to get a job and save money for a bus trip but I do not want to be found. I have no reliable family that can afford to take care of and support me. Either that or they’re substance abusers. I have no friends to stay with other than the ones in the west coast. I want to leave until I’m 18 but I’d be risking not being able to finish my education and would have to live my life in fear of getting caught. Although where I’m going is pretty unexpected. The plan is pretty flawless although I just would like some extra tips and advice on what to do. I also have changed my name and appearance drastically so my family will have no pictures of me while I plan on getting tattoos and more piercings to appear older and unnoticeable. Please help with my plan. I’m aware of the charges of harboring a run away and the potential outcome of getting arrested and I’m willing to risk that. How do I make my plan better and lower the chance of getting caught?

[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. NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We would be glad to speak with you about strategies and explore options that might help you to cope better with your situation.
We want you to know that we are here as support to you during 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 about your situation and 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).

You did a wonderful job reaching out today. Good for you.
We look forward to hearing from you.


Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

My boyfriend wants to run away from his parents house, in the state his parents live in it is legal for him to leave right now at 17, but the state he wants to go to has different laws, which laws would apply to him, the ones in his parents residential state or the state he is running away to or both?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at NRS. We are not legal experts so we can only speak generally on this. In most areas 18 is the age when a person can move away from their legal guardians and choose where they live. If he leaves home without permission, his parents can report him as a runaway to the police. This means his parents can ask police to assist in returning him home if he is found. This can vary by state and by county. As you mentioned some areas do not enforce a runaway report for someone who is close to turning 18, so police might not intervene to return him home. The laws and protocols in your boyfriend's home state where his parents reside would more than likely apply to his situation. We always advise young people with this type of question to call the non-emergency line for the local police department to learn more about the specific runaway protocols.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hey, so I want to run away because I'm pregnant at 16 and my grandparents are trying to force me without my consent to get an abortion and I don't want an abortion, I want to keep the child. And I decided with the father of the child were keeping it and we'll do anything possible to make that kid happy and to have a good life. And I'm willing to do anything for this child, and so is my spouse. But I don't want to get an abortion and they said I don't have a choice so I plan on running away but don't know what to do.
1. Can the police make me come home if I run away to another state?
2. Can my grandparents force me without my consent and make me get an abortion?
3.if I run away at 16 what are my chances of being told to return home by the police?
4. Will the police make me return home if they catch me?
5. Is what I'm doing the right thing? Because I believe it is. I should have the right whether I keep my child or not and not have someone make that choice for me. I want to keep the child I do. I don't want to lose it.
6. What will I all need to make my run away sucessful?

[ccsmod3]

Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you did. We're sorry to hear that things have been tough at home and that your grandparents are trying to force you into having an abortion. Technically speaking, they cannot force you into having an abortion. Abortion providers will only perform an abortion if the pregnant person has made that decision for themselves. Ultimately, that decision is up to you to make, and only you can decide if it's the right thing to do for yourself, your spouse, and for the baby.

If you runaway in your state or to another state, it is possible that there could be police involvement or Child Protective Services involvement, and that you are returned home. That's all circumstantial and also varies from state to state, though it's definitely important to consider. It's also possible that your grandparents would file a missing persons report if you leave, making any future interactions with the police and them knowing you're missing more likely.

When thinking about running away, it's a good idea to have a plan in place. Consider where you will go and how you will get there. If a stay in a shelter is needed, you should know that often times, shelters will not allow women who are far into their pregnancy stay at their facilities. If you don't have a place to go, where will you raise the baby? Another important thing to consider is your medical care. How will you get the care that you need while pregnant and on the run? How will the baby get the medical care he/she needs? So really in thinking about running away, one of the best places to start is with a plan.

If you'd like to talk this plan out in more detail or if you have any other questions, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us at 1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and area always happy to help.

Take care.

NRS