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

[Unregistered]

I turn 18 in April but don't graduate until may. My mother is abusive and I want to move out as soon as possible. Can I leave before I graduate?

[ccsmod3]

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

Hello and thanks for reaching out on our online forum. We’re very sorry to hear your mother is abusive. Please know you don’t deserve to experience any type of abuse regardless of your age and you do have the right to report it if you’d like to go that route. If so, we can help you through that process. If not we can try and help you come up with other options. As for your question about leaving before graduation that would probably be best answered by your local law enforcement which we can also look up for you if we know your city/state. If you’d like help reaching out to them we can help with that too if you decide to Live Chat or call. Best of luck!

[Gabriel]

I'm 18 my gf ask me to move with her in San Francisco

I'm 18 years old my girl want me to move with her at her place which she live in San Francisco & I live in LA, but my mom won't let's me go. Do I have the right to leave the house without her calling me the cops. & I still go to school -12 grade- does my mom need to be with me if I want to sign up for a different school????

[ccsmod6]

RE: I'm 18 my gf ask me to move with her in San Francisco

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are wanting to move in with your girlfriend at age 18. Moving out is a big step with a lot of responsibility. We are not legal experts here, but you stated that you are 18, which means you are now considered your own legal guardian. Most states set the age of majority at 18. This means you are allowed to leave home if you wish. Regarding your question about enrolling in school, it may be best to contact the school to find out what the registration process is like and what types of documentation you need to enroll in school if a parent or guardian will not be present. If you would like more information about enrolling in a different school without a parent/guardian or would like to talk more about your situation, please consider calling our crisis line at 1-800-786-2929. We are free, confidential, and 24/7.

We wish you the best,

NRS

[Chantz]

Question

Ok I'm 18 I am graduating from Hancock high in kiln ms on May 19 2016 am i allowed to do so

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Question

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

In Mississippi the age of majority is eighteen meaning that an individual of this age would be considered an adult.
You might consider checking with your local police department for clarification of the law.

Take Care,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 18 and I'm a senior in high school and my mom is very abusive and mean. I was wondering can I just leave the house and go stay with someone else

[ccsmod6]

Hi,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us tonight. We are not legal experts, but in most states the age of majority is 18. This means that when you turn 18 you are legally an adult and can leave home without your parents' permission. Some states have it set at a higher age though, so it may be best to look up when a youth is legally an adult in your state. if you are still in high school that may make things different, but you would have to reach out to your local police department to see whether or not they would take a runaway report for you if you left.

It is definitely not okay for your mom to be abusive. If you ever feel like your life is at risk please call 911. You can also call us at any time as we are 24/7. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY and we would be more than happy to see what else we can do to help you.

[Guest]

I am 18 years old, and a senior in high school. I want to move out of my dad's house and live with my mom. If my dad calls the police, will they make me go back to my dad's?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are wanting to move out of your dad’s house and live with your mom. In most states, 18 year olds are considered adults and can leave home without their parent’s consent. To find out what the age of majority is in your state, you could go to sexetc.org click on your state and add 1 year to the age of minority. One of the fastest ways that you could move out is if you get your dad’s permission. Another option that you have is to contact your local non- emergency police station and ask them if they accept runaway report on 18 year olds. If you are not comfortable calling the police, we can them for you. If you would like assistance with how to tell your dad that you want to move in with your mom, NRS (1-800-786-2929) offers conference calls between youth and their parents. Please feel free to contact us via our crisis hotline, email, or live chat if you have any other questions or concerns regarding your decision to move.
Good Luck !
- NRS

[Guest]

I'm Turning 18 on Saturday. I am a senior. I want to move out, However my parents said if i move out then i wont be able to graduate. Is this true?

[ccsmod6]

Hi,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us right now. It sounds like you're 18 and you want to leave home but are concerned because your parents have told you that you may not be able to graduate because of it. We are not experts but as far as we know you would still be able to graduate even if you did move out. For more information you could also try calling out to your local school district or talking to someone at your school!

If you need anymore help or just want to talk about what you're going through please don't hesitate to reach out! Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY. We wish you the best of luck!

[Guest]

I’m a senior in high school and I turn 18 in 15 days and live in the state of TN . am I allowed to leave as soon as I turn 18 without anybody stopping me because of still being in high school

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to us. Since 18 is the age of majority in Tennessee, you should be able to move out after turning 18 despite still being enrolled in high school. However, we’re not legal experts here, so we can only give general legal information. If you’d like, we can look for free legal resources in your area for more definitive information if you call us at 1(800)786-2929 or use our chat when it is open at 1800runaway.org.
We wish you the best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello,
I'm a senior in high school and didn't get a lot of credits starting out because of my home situation with abuse taking place and other problems that occured then. I turn 18 in 4 months, I do work but I'm not sure if I'll earn enough within those 4 months to move out. What are some options you can provide for me?

[ccsmod15]

Hello, thanks for posting on our forum today. It sounds like due to issues at home, schoolwork has been hard to keep up with, which makes a lot of sense! We are here to offer any help we can for this tough situation.
You did mention there had been abuse. If you have not already and you want to, filing an abuse report is an option. Child Help is the national child abuse hotline and can give you more information on how to file a report or get custody transferred to a safe adult. Child Help: 1-800-422-4453, childhelp.org.
Regarding moving out, in most states 18 is the age when you can do that without parental consent. Perhaps asking your parents if you can stay with a family member or friend who is willing before you turn 18 is an option to keep you safe and help you safe up money. If that is not an option, you can also consider asking someone you feel comfortable with to stay with them after you turn 18 and leave home legally, again, to save up some money for your own place.
We have a lot of resources for transitional living programs which are similar to shelters but longer term and a bit more structured. They often teach life skills to help you transition to living on your own and most are set up in a dorm-style. You may have your own room or share one, it really depends. We can look up TLPs in your area if you contact us directly and provide your city and state. The easiest ways to contact us directly is through phone 24/7: 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and through online live chat 4:30-11:30pm Central Time on our website.
You may also look at HUD.gov which is a government website with information on subsidized and low cost housing which may benefit you if you are on a low budget.
Like we said, leaving home is legal in most states at 18, however, while still being in school, there may be additional rules on needing a parent signature for certain school forms. Reaching out to a counselor or your principal about how they work with 18 year old students who live independently may also be a good next step as you prepare to move out on your own. Teachers or counselors at school may also be a good resource for you to discuss credits and how you can go about graduating in a timely manner due to falling behind.
We understand it takes a lot of courage to reach out for help and guidance. Thank you for posting today. It is very smart for you to be thinking ahead on what is best for you and what resources are available to you. Call or live chat us anytime: 1-800-RUNAWAY, 1800runaway.org.

[Guest]

Hello Im 18 and I want to know 18 i doesnt graduate in may and i wanna leave my mom house could i be reported as an run a way

[ccsmod5]

Hey,
Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re in a tough situation and are wanting to leave home. We’re not legal experts, but in most states you are allowed to leave home once you are a legal adult (usually age eighteen) regardless of when you graduate high school.
If you want to speak more specifically about your situation or need help locating resources, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929. We wish you the best of luck and we hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think . Stay safe!

[Guest]

I’m 17 and turn eighteen in one month. Can I move out before then?

[ccsmod5]

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re wanting to leave home. We are not legal experts, but generally speaking you would need your parents’ permission to leave home before you are 18. If you leave before then, your parents would have the right to file a runaway report and if the police are able to locate you they may return you home. That being said, there is a possibility that your local police would not accept a runaway report for someone so close to being 18. You might consider reaching out to your local police at their non-emergency line to see how they would handle a situation like yours (hypothetically). If you’re uncomfortable doing so, we can also call out to your local police for you. If you would like to talk about the situation more specifically or need help locating resources, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929. We wish you the best of luck and we hope this response was helpful in making your decision. We encourage you to give your honest feedback of our forum services at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

Hello
my father is abusive i don't want to stay with him i m 18+ but i do not have my personal income i want to also take my mother out of my father's house

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

Sounds like you are in a rough situation at home with your abusive father and wanting to leave with your mother. No one deserves to be abused and you and your mom's safety is incredibly important. Since you are over 18, you cannot report the abuse to child protective services but you do have the right to leave the home at any time. It is so understandable that not having income and not leaving your mom with him has made getting out of the house difficult for you. If you ever feel like you and your mom are in immediate danger please call 911. You might also reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They can help you form a safety plan with leaving and look for domestic violence housing resources near you if you need.

You might also ask friends and trusted family members if you two can stay with them; while trying to leave your dad's house and gain income. If your mom has any available finances, you might ask her about moving out and renting another place. If you all need help with rent assistance, you might reach out to the local United Way information and referral line at 2-1-1 to see if there are any local resources with affordable housing resources.

If you call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY we can look for shelter resources that might be able to help you and your mom. We can also talk through your situation and brainstorm your options. Again, please call 911 if you feel like you are in immediate danger.

We hope this response was helpful! 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.

Tell us what you think about your experience!

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

NRS

[Guest]

I am 17 and I will be 18 in 9 months but I wanna move out now things are hard at home I can't be with people I wanna be with and its always yelling.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need. We have a database of resources and if you’re able to call in, we can try to brainstorm with you and get a better idea of your situation.

If you feel like getting out of the house is the best option and you decide to run away, we can explain what usually happens. We’re not legal experts, but from our general knowledge, running away is not illegal. If you runaway, your parents can make a runaway report. The police don't always actively look for you, if they come across you, then they usually bring you home. If you explain to them that home isn't a safe place to be, they don't always return you right away. They're supposed to investigate it first. We offer to call out to youths local police, with youth, to find out their protocols and what happens if runaways refuse to go home. We can also help find runaway/youth shelters in your area, so you can stay safe.

We’re always here for you and will do our best to help, and find you options. Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS