18 but haven't graduated, can I leave home without consent

I’m a 18 year old and im looking for help. I live in va im trying to move out but I know if i try to my moms going threaten me like shes always does. What can I do?

[ccsmod0]

Hey there,

Generally, the legal age you can leave your home is 18. If you are in fact 18, there should be no legal consequences to leaving. We are not legal experts, but you can contact your local nonemergency police number to find out the laws in your area. . 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).

Best of luck,
NRS

Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

I am 18 and still go to school. I live in NE. If I move out, and the police is contacted, what can happen?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out and share a bit about your situation. It was really responsible of you to seek out more information about your circumstances.

Generally speaking, 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.

Because you are minor, you are not able to legally enter into contracts. This means you would most likely not be able to rent an apartment or live in your own space without the help of a parent/legal guardian. The easiest way to leave home as a minor is with your parents’ permission. In this case, they would be allowing you to live somewhere else where you are safe and being cared for. A helpful step is to start reaching out to friends and family members you might be able to stay with. Sometimes having an adult advocate on your side can make communicating your needs more effective to your parents. Perhaps an adult family member, a friend's parent or a counselor at school can talk to your parents with you about your experience at home and the possibility of you leaving.

We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Stay safe,
NRS

I´m 16 and i live in Arizona I have been wanting to move out of my house and get my own place or bunking with a friend to finish my senor year of high school. are my parent able to call the cops to bring me back home?

[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 once you turn 18 you are considered a legal adult in AZ and can live where you please. Your educational status should not affect this whatsoever.

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.

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

Stay safe,
NRS

I turn 18 on April 6th but do not graduate until May 20th. I’m in Arizona and I want to move out on my 18th birthday but my mom is telling me that legally I can’t move out without her permission until I graduate high school because she is still responsible for me. Is this true or can I move out on my 18th birthday?

[ccsmod0]

Hey there,

Generally, you can leave your home when you turn 18 without any legal consequences. You may no longer be able to rely on your family for financial or emotional support depending on your situation though. You can always double check with your local nonemergency police number to make sure you are good to go. If you are experiencing abuse in your home, there is an organization called Childhelp that can talk with you about abuse reporting and the legal ramifications of such. Their number is 18004224453. You can also reach out directly to us through our chat or our phone number.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Best of luck,
NRS

Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Im currently 17 but live in an emotionally abusive, stressful, and controlling house hold in Austin Texas, i dont turn 18 till October 13th, when i do turn 18 am i legally allowed to move in with a friend and their family without my birth mothers consent and without her pressing charges on that family.

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS we appreciate you contacting us. We understand you are going through a really rough time and are looking for information to help you out. From what we know, though we are not legal experts, you can leave once you turn 18 as you becomes a legal adult. If you fear your parents/guardians are going to be aggressive or violent towards you, you can call the police and they can help move you out so that you do not feel threatened. If you are looking for places to stay NRS has the ability to offer shelters and Transitional Living Programs through our chat and call center options. If you wish to get those types of resources please do not hesitate to reach out and we will happy assist you. Unfortunately we can’t send any information about places near you as we do not have enough information to send something to best help. We hope you reach out soon!
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

Hi, I’ll turn 18 next month and I want to move out. I tried holding out as long as I can but can’t anymore. I barely have any income nor a place to stay. Pleaseee help me I really can’t live here anymore. I wanted to know if there are any advice or resources that can help me. I really don’t know what to do

[ccsmod15]

That's a great question, though we are very sorry to hear about the abuse taking place at home. We can tell you what we know about the laws about the age of majority in Wisconsin, but keep in mind that we are not legal experts. Our understanding is that once you turn 18 in Wisconsin you are automatically considered emancipated and there doesn't seem to be any legal reason why your parents could compel you to stay at home, even if you haven't completed high school yet. Sometimes it's a bit confusing because the law states that a parent cannot kick out a youth that is 18 as long as they are making progress towards completing high school. But your situation is different in that it sounds like you would be choosing to leave. But again, if you'd like to be sure you can always talk to a guidance counselor at your school about your plan. Or you could even call the local police non-emergency number and ask them.

We'd like to take this opportunity to mention that you do still have the right to file an abuse report on your parents. Whether you do or not is up to you, but it is an option. Here is a link where you can find your county's abuse reporting hotline in Wisconsin: https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/reportabuse. Or you can give us a call and we can file a report on your behalf if you choose. You can also contact the National Child abuse Hotline at www.childhelp.org or call 1-800-422-4453.

If you ever want to talk about what's going on or need help in finding resources please give us a call anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are confidential and are here to listen and help! Please stay safe!

Hi, I’m currently 17 and a junior in High School I turn 18 2 weeks into my senior year of high school. I live in Wisconsin where you can not be considered a legal adult at 18 if you are in high school. If I moved out my senior year without my parents consent but still attended the same high school is that legal? Or can my parents press charges or something on me and the people I’m staying with? My parents are heavily abusive and emancipation is out of the question due to the cost of a good lawyer to beat them. I have a stable job where I make $17.25 an hour and can then apply for health insurance through my job. Can I legally move out because of these laws or not?

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways. As far as we know, you cannot officially move out of your parents’ house before you are 18. If you do leave home, your parents can file a runaway report on you with the police. This does not mean that you are in trouble or that you will get arrested. It just means that if you encounter the police, they can notify your parents and return you back home.

If you want to talk more about your situation, we might be able to provide you with some more precise information about what your options are. Please don’t hesitate to call us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

Am I allowed to move out of my parents house before I turn 18? I live in Pennsylvania.