17 Year old moving across state lines legality

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like you have survived an awful situation at home. You have been very brave for so very long.
Your situation is one that we would very much like to discuss with you. This public forum isn't the best way to do it. You may notice that we obscured your location information to protect your anonymity.
We truly hope that you will reach out to either our live chat through this website, or call 1-800-786-2929 to talk this over to discover what your options may be.
We are here 24/7 to listen and help.
Sincerely,
NRS

i’m 17 years old and have been having a rough time with my mental health for about 7,8 years. it’s been pushed aside by my family for forever- they ignored a major ed and only now seem to care as they got a call home for me having self harm on my arms. the reaction was that i should be kicked out and i was told i should unalive several times over the years. my ldr partner and i spent the summer together and his family adores me- i was supposed to move there when i turn 18 but i’m considering going now which they are okay with (they told me if it was fine with my guardian i didn’t have to go back home after the summer)-i have video evidence of me being told to leave home and also being told to hurt myself- but i’m scared of repercussions such as my adults being put in jail or anything- i just want out and i want out now. i have my resources i have evidence if the need be and everything but i need advice. i’m not the only one holding the evidence in case my phone is taken and it’s deleted off of my phone. i currently reside in -- and if i went i would be moving to --.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us with your questions. Just so you know, if you left home without permission at 17 you might still be considered a runaway, in Georgia or in any other state since the age of majority is at least 18 in all 50 states. So if your parent or guardian wanted to, they could file a runaway report on you if you left home. Of course, maybe they wouldn't do that. Or maybe the police wouldn't take it so seriously since you are close to turning 18. But we can't really say for sure what might happen. It's also possible that anyone that houses you in New York could be accused of harboring a runaway as well as aiding and abetting a minor. But again, this is a worst-case scenario and it's not clear what the police would do.

One option, of course, would be to simply wait out the two months till you turn 18. Then you would be considered emancipated and there would be no legal consequences for the move you are proposing.

We'd like to help further but would need more information from you to do so. The best way we can help would be for you to call our confidential 24 hour hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). You can also chat with us via the chat feature on our website: www.1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS Crisis Team

Hello, I am 17 yrs old. I turn 18 in 2 months. What would happen if I move from Georgia to NY? Since I wouldn't be considered a runaway according to Georgia law would the police still be able to pursue me? Could the people I would stay with in New York get in trouble with the law?

[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. 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).
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

Is it illegal for me to travel from Texas to New Mexico as a 17 year old with my boyfriend (20 year old)?

[ccsmod8]

Hello there –

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline on our public forum. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It must be really hard to feel like you don't have many options or choices in your own life. Must be pretty isolating for sure.

Now we aren't legal experts here and you might have already read on this forum thread about what could happen if you were to leave home before the age of majority. So we won’t get into that since you can find it fairly easily.

Of course we can’t speak for all police, but it is to our understanding that if law enforcement were to find a reported runaway it’s in their policy to return them home. When a parent files a runaway report, it usually is also entered into the NCIC (The National Crime Information Center) so if you were to leave the state and go somewhere else, the report will follow you until your 18. If you were caught outside of your state, we have heard of youth being placed in either youth shelters or juvenile detention center until they can be released to their parents and/or legal guardian.

We encourage you to reach out to us here for more support and to talk further about your situation if you would like to. We are here 24-hours a day via phone or online chat. Best of luck to you.

hi so im 17 turning 18 in july and i want to run away because i live in an abusive household. i have a safe place to go but its across state line and i gont want to go to court or anything what should i do?

[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. 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).
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

Hi I'm a 17 yr old turning 18 in 17 days and I'm on a "roadtrip" with my parents we are currently in the same state as my boyfriend. I am extremely stressed and at my limit of what I can deal with. If I ran away to his house what would happen?

[ccsmod0]

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. 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. 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

Hi I'm from Wisconsin and my girlfriend is 18 in two months an I will be 18 in about 10 months my at home life has been very difficult since my mom's new boy friend has moved in. He yells at us for no reason and treats my mom like nothing but she just stays with him. I was wondering if I could get in trouble an risk my girlfriend getting in trouble if we cross state lines. Ik I didn't really explain much but it's just things I don't like to talk about and I'm always grounded and can't leave my room and I'm 17 and I'm ready to run I can't handle my at home life anymore I'm miserable to the point where I think about hurting myself some times and my girlfriend is the only thing that keeps my on my feet. I willingly go to school everyday and still come home and I'm forced to clean the house and then stay in my room all the time because how often I'm grounded. I'm not sure if you guys still respond but I really need someone's help.

[ccsmod13]

Hello,

We are not legal experts by any means, but from what we know it can be illegal to transport a minor across state lines without the guardian's permission. The police department where the youth is from will have more specific information about laws for the state and police protocol. You can call the non-emergency number to ask questions anonymously.

We are available 24/7 to listen and help. Do not hesitate to reach out by phone or chat if you have any further questions or concerns.

Good luck,
NRS

Can an adult bring a 17 year old across state lines legally

[ccsmod13]

Hi there, thank you for contacting NRS.

We are not experts when it comes to legal issues, but we can share some general information on runaway laws. Because Alabama is your home state where your guardians live then Alabama's runaway laws are most likely the ones that would apply in your situation. If you did leave without your adoptive parents permission then they could file the runaway report. This means that if police knew where you were then they might try to bring you back home. Your situation is a little more complicated because you are very close to being considered a legal adult in both states and you are entering a state where the age of majority is 18. The local police department where your adoptive parents live will have more information on how they would handle a runaway report for someone in your situation. You can call the non-emergency number to ask questions anonymously. It would be helpful to ask a question like " would officers pursue a runaway report and attempt to return an 18 year old home if that individual crossed state lines into Texas where the age of majority is 18?" If you do not feel comfortable calling yourself, we can call the police department for you if you call or chat with us at 1-800-786-2929 or 1800runaway.org. We are available 24/7 if you would like to talk more in depth about your situation or if you need any help.

Take care,
NRS