17 Y/O run away rights in Arizona

[ccsmod15]

Hey, thanks for reaching out to us. Eighteen years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway
(though in your case you would most likely turn 18 before a harboring case would go to court, so it's possible it would be thrown out). One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding youth that run away at 17.

We hope this information helps. If you'd like to talk more about your situation you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via the chat button found at the top of www.1800runaway.org. We are here to listen and help in whatever way we can!

Stay safe,
NRS

I am 17 years old about to be 18 in 3 months. Can they do anything if I run away still?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like you’re going through a tough time at home and want to explore your options. We’re here to listen and help the best way we can.
You mentioned you are thinking of running away. If you are living in Arizona, the age of majority is 18. So if you leave home without your parent’s permission, your mom can file a runaway report with the police. You can’t get arrested for running away, but the police most likely will take you back to your mom’s if they find you unless there is evidence of abuse. Maybe there might be a friend or family member that your mom agree to let you stay with. If you decide that running away is your best option, it’s best to have a plan. Things like where would you stay, how you would get food, and how would you keep yourself safe might be some of the things to think about when planning.
You also mentioned joining the army. We can’t answer your questions about the army, but someone at your local recruiting office should be able to give you the information you need. They would also be able to tell you the requirements
There might be other options available to you depending on your situation. If you want to explore what those options, you can reach out to us on out chat line www.1800RUNAWAY.org or by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY. We’re here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We hope you hear from you!
Good luck and stay strong,
NRS

Im 17 almost 18 and im just sick of living with my mom, I want to runaway but im not even from Arizona so i don't know where to go or what to do also can i join the army when im 18 if im considered a runaway

[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. You might consider contacting NRS and we can assist you with exploring services in your area.
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).

Take care,
NRS

I'm 17 years old, turning 18 in august. My parents don't care that ran away from home. They haven't called the cops or anything. But is there any sort of benefits or resources i can get, even medical wise. My parents want nothing to do with me so i have no way of getting my prescription if i need or getting a permit and other things. What can I do?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Our understanding of laws around a minor leaving home is that your parents are your legal guardians until you turn 18, so they can decide where you live. If you do choose to leave without permission, your parents can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means that if your parents know where you are staying then they can have the police return you home. From what we know, this is not always the case as there is not a universal way that police will handle runaway cases. Some police departments are more lenient with young people who leave home at 17 and do not force them to return to a guardian, and sometimes police will not take a report at all for a 17 year old. The best way to check the policy for any area is to call the non-emergency number for the local police department to ask more specifically about their runaway protocol.

Thank you for your response to another user’s post. Often forums are a place of support and understanding for many youth. It often may be validating and helpful for users to read similar situations as well as exchange feedback to one another. For anyone experiencing any difficulties or challenges, the National Runaway Safeline encourages youth to reach out to our 24/7 crisis support line either by phone or chat for immediate services.

i am a runway at 17 they cant force you to go home if your not in danger

[ccsmod15]

Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out.

You mentioned that your son wants to run away, and you fear that he might go to you mom’s house, possibly her facing charges for harboring a runaway. With that being said, it speaks of high volume that you’re trying to seek help on what to do in this difficult situation. We’re not legal experts, but if your son does decide to run away, you can contact the authorities, and file a runaway report. Ultimately whoever he ends up staying with may face some charges, so it is important to let the authorities know if you have a clue where he might be staying with. Along those same lines, you can let you’re your mom know a heads up if you think your son might be headed her way to contact you as soon as possible.

Another option to explore would be to have an open communication with your child’s school. If your child does not show up to school, you can have them contact you as soon as possible so you can take precautionary measures. You May also consider sitting down with your son along with a school counselor, and going into depth about why they want to run away. If you need parental support, you may reach out to TEAM H.O.P.E at 1866) 305-4673 for parental empowerment.

We hope the information provided helps. Remember we are available 24/7 and can be toll-free reached at the number listed above. We are confidential, anonymous, and non-direct. We can also be reached via live chat between 4:30pm and 11:30pm CST

My 15 year old son wants to run away. What can I legally do to prevent this from happening? If I can't do anything, and I call law enforcement when he does do this what happens next? I am afraid he will get into trouble out in the streets because he is very naive and he doesn't understand the dangers and consequences of his action; has been diagnosed with autism. The first place he would probably go would be my mom's apartment. She is an elderly woman who is very ill and doesn't speak English. She does know anything about Arizona laws, thus wouldn't understand that if my son goes to her place she could be charged with harboring a runaway. I don't know what to do.

[ccsmod13]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to NRS. These are great questions and it is really responsible of you to want more information before making big decisions. You do not deserve to live with someone who is degrading and verbally abusive. Being talked down to like that is not okay and it should not be happening at home. Because you are under the age of 18, your mom can file a runaway report if you leave. Running away is not a crime, but it means police might return you home. From what we know harboring charges for the person who is helping you are rare, but it is possible for them to have some legal consequences. Because you would be going somewhere safe and your mom has threatened to kick you out in the past, there is a chance that police would not force you to go back home. The police department for your county will have more specific information about their runaway and harboring protocol. You can call their non-emergency number to ask questions anonymously. You do not have to give any personal information even if they ask for it. We can also call on your behalf if you call our hotline (1-800-786-2929) or use our online chat resources. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions or concerns. We are here 24/7 to help.

Take care,
NRS

I'm 17 years old and I turn 18 in November on the 16th. My mother has threatened to Kick me out twice, I left the last time and she threatened to call the cops so I came back home. Now today I've gotten into it with her & I'm at my limit. She's a very negative, verbally abusive, and degrading mother. I told her I'm leaving and she said that she's going to call the police. Can the police bring me back home ? Where I want to leave to will her mother get in trouble for letting me stay there ?

[ccsmod2]

Hi. Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. These are all great questions and it’s great that you are thinking about how certain situations could potentially play out. Harboring charges can vary from state to state however, it is possible that your parents can sue someone for harboring or that the police can also charge someone with harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. However, in most cases harboring charges are usually unlikely but if enforced can result in a misdemeanor charge. Emancipation can also vary from state to state however based on our records it appears that in Arizona a minor may file a petition for emancipation order with the clerk of court of their county but must be at least 16 years old, a resident of the state, financially stable, etc. If you would like to learn more about emancipation in Arizona you can contact the Southern Arizona Legal Aid at 520-316-8076 or please feel free to give us a call at 1800-runaway or come chat with us at 1800runaway.org. All the best, NRS.
(15:00) 203: Hi. Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. These are all great questions and it’s great that you are thinking about how certain situations could potentially play out. Harboring charges can vary from state to state however, it is possible that your parents can sue someone for harboring or that the police can also charge someone with harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. However, in most cases harboring charges are usually unlikely but if enforced can result in a misdemeanor charge. Emancipation can also vary from state to state however based on our records it appears that in Arizona a minor may file a petition for emancipation order with the clerk of court of their county but must be at least 16 years old, a resident of the state, financially stable, etc. If you would like to learn more about emancipation in Arizona you can contact the Southern Arizona Legal Aid at 520-316-8076 or please feel free to give us a call at 1800-runaway or come chat with us at 1800runaway.org. All the best, NRS

I want to runaway, but I’m scared for the consequences, you’re saying that if I stay with anyone, and I get caught with them they would get charged with harboring? Is that if my parents say they want to charge the person? Do you know how I could get emancipated?

[ccsmod15]

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to NRS and sharing what’s going on with you.

Although NRS is not a legal agency, we would generally say that assault charges are still a crime and would not go away when the person turns 18. We would encourage you to reach out to legal aid for more specific advice and assistance. One such resource could be the Legal Services Corporation at lsc.gov.

If you would like to share more, please feel free to call our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or use our Live Chat.
We hope this information was helpful and take care.
National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)