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

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like your dad has been making things quite stressful by threatening you. You deserve to feel at ease and safe where you are living. The good news is that at 18 you are most likely considered a legal adult. This means that you have the legal freedom to choose where you live. Even if your dad attempts to call the police, you will not be forced home since you are an adult.

From what you shared, it sounds like your dad will make it quite difficult to leave his house. It might be helpful to come up with a plan for leaving so that you can stay safe and make sure you have any important belongings with you. We are here 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible while you take these next steps to live with your mom. You can reach out anytime by phone (1-800-786-2929) or chat at www.1800runaway.org.

Be safe and good luck!
NRS

If I am 18 and I want to move in with my mom but my dad says I can't; do I need his permission to just leave and if not can the cops force me to go back to his house? I live in Michigan and I am not happy living with my dad but he won't let me leave because he always threatens to have the police find me if I leave, can he do that?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to NRS. From what you shared, you are not happy with your current living situation, but leaving is also a difficult decision to make. A lot of young people come to this crossroads and are uncertain of what choice might be best for them. You deserve to feel comfortable and at ease where you live. Even though home sounds like it is pretty stressful for you, it is understandable that the idea of taking such a huge step as to move out on your own would come with some hesitancy. Leaving home can be a scary decision to make, but you know better than anyone what the right choice for you in this situation.

There are some things that you can take into consideration while deciding on your next steps: if you do leave where will you live; how will you afford to pay for rent, basic necessities, medical emergencies; do you feel like you have the emotional support you might need while transitioning into this next part of your life; what are the pros and cons of leaving home. Thinking on these might be helpful in coming up with a plan and determining when you are ready to leave. If you decide that leaving is the best choice for you but you still think you need more support, there are programs called transitional living programs. These are long-term housing programs that help young people work toward the goal of living independently and they can help with things such as learning life skills, employment, and education. These programs can be far and few between depending on the area, but we are happy to do a search for them in your area and talk more about this as an option with you.

If you would like to talk more in-depth about your concerns or you would like to be connected to local resources, please do not hesitate to reach out anytime. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Good luck,
NRS

I’m 21 years old and I live my parents just out of high school at 20 years old and I want to move out and try to get a car. Would it be a better idea to stay at my parents house and suffer from my dad and older siblings making fun of me for still living at home and keep up paying my parents rent for my own room or should I just try and live on my own.

[ccsmod9]

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. It seem as though you are looking to leave home and wanted to see if you could get into trouble. From what we know about your story it would be once you are 18 yrs old. It would be fine legally that you left as you are considered an adult but as far as getting in trouble with your parents that might be a real thing. Perhaps considering the outcome of leaving without getting permission from your parents. It might lead to them kicking you out or an argument about why you left. If you would like to keep talking please feel free to. 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

I want to run away from my house when i turn 18 but only for a few weeks to ho on a road trip. I am pretty sure my parents wouldnt let me go if i asked them so i just wanna write a note sayin iam gonna be back in a few weeks n leave. Would i get in trouble for doin that?

[ccsmod7]

Hi there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you are in a stressful situation and you are wanting to move out when you are 18 rather than wait until you are 19 and finished with school. We are not legal experts, but we can answer your question generally.

At 18 in PA, you are considered a legal adult and you can make your own life decisions like where you live regardless of whether or not you have completed school. Your mom cannot report you as a runaway once you are 18. One thing to consider when moving out, is that your mom does not have to support you or allow you back into the house. So you might plan for how you are going to support yourself long term and where you are going to live. Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk through your situation and help with brainstorming your options. We are always here for you.

1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org

Best,

NRS

I’m 17 and turn 18 in six months. I’m from Philadelphia, pa. I don’t graduate until I’m 19 and my mom is saying I won’t be able to leave her house until I graduate, is that true?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS. While we are not legal experts here at NRS, you are most likely considered a legal adult at 18 (unless you live in Mississippi, Nebraska, or Alabama). If you leave home, you would not be considered a runaway. This means that you have the legal freedom to choose where you live even if you are still in school.

We hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions or you would like to talk more about your situation, please do not hesitate to reach out by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Good luck,
NRS

Hey I'm 18 can I move while still in school? Without cops involved?

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We’re sorry that it sounds like you are dealing with an incredible amount of stress and pain stemming from your living situation and the way your mom is behaving. It’s not your burden to take care of your mother, and even if it is, she should not be treating you in such a hurtful and excessive manner.

While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is not illegal to run away. Your parent/guardian could file a runaway report on you but this would NOT mean that you would get arrested or charged with anything. It typically does mean that the police could return you home if they encountered you and that would be that. Police typically do not actively search for a runaway youth. However, they will go where the parent/guardian directs them if they know where you are staying. Additionally, police can sometimes be more lenient about runaway situations the closer you are to 18. You can attempt to calmly and respectfully deny them consent to touch you or take you anywhere, and they may give up on trying to return you home. They also may not, in which case you should comply with what they tell you to do for your safety.

Additionally, your right to an education is protected by the McKinney Vento Act. If you are a runaway or are homeless, you can visit https://nche.ed.gov/ and look up how to get in contact with your local homeless education liaison. They can help you enroll in school as a runaway if your mom is trying to interfere with your education.

If you have any other questions about your situation or want to talk more about what’s going on and what other options there might be, please don’t hesitate to reach out on or 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

I'm 17 I'll be 18 in nine months my mother had emergency custody of me after my dad kicked me out. She's abusive as well but I had no choice but to live with her. My boyfriend moved in with us and she claims he drained her of all her money when he had his own job and such. She sold the house she was leaving me an him at while she was a caregiver to an also abusive veteran. Who talks horribly about me and my boyfriend my mom goes back and forth between saying she's just gonna give me money and let me be and saying that she's gonna take me out of the fast paced school she put me in 5 months and unrolling me in the 1st place I'm already behind in school and I can't be with her I can't. I have to focus on me and my future and she tells me I dont love her and I'm horrible for not taking care of her and wanting to live with my brother, she has texted me basically abandoning me but also says I have to do exactly as she says until I'm 18 I'm Currently not living with her at all. I just want to be left alone to live my life with people who care and are supportive, maybe I'm wrong but I just I can't she tells me I'll never be anything but I feel like I'll never be anything if she's in my life cause she's so dependent on me to drop everything and just take care of her.im supposed to be a senior she enrolled me before finals so I have to now retake my second semester of junior year again becuase of her an now she's threating to unentoll me and god knows how long itll take for her to even take me back to school.

I feel stuck I dont know what to do

[ccsmod15]

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a tough situation at home with your Mom threatening to kick you out. It takes courage to ask for help, and we appreciate you sharing what is going on.

It sounds like you are most concerned with the legality of leaving home without telling your Mom. We are not legal experts here, but it is our understanding that in the state of New York, an 18-year-old is considered a legal adult. Thus, you are able to leave home without parental consent. It is important to know where you will go and to have a plan for how you will survive once there. It sounds like you have thought out these parts of the situation. If you ever want to discuss the matter further or see what resources may be available to you as an independent person away from home, we are always here to help. Our number is 1-800-RUN-AWAY. You can also instant message us at 1800runaway.org.

Again, you have shown bravery in reaching out to us. We know this isn’t an easy time, and we hope this is information helps. Stay safe and strong out there.

Sincerely,
NRS

Hello i am 18 years old and my mom has been threatening to kick me out, i want to go to new york where my friend lives so i can stay with her. my mom said she doesnt care where i go and that she is done with me, my question is can i do this without telling her because im legally an adult and i can leave whenever i please? i will be safe and comfortable, if i dont tell my mom would i get in trouble with the law for not telling her where im going?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out, we know that it takes a lot of courage. We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your parents (or legal guardians) can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. 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 are close to 18, or since you finished your high school education, the local police may let you stay where you are but this policy differs greatly from city to city. If you'd like you can reach out to your local nonemergency police line by dialing 311 to verify what your local policy is.

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