17 year old in Alabama

[Guest]

I'd like to leave my home as soon as possible due to problems at home, and I'm currently 17, I turn 18 next month though. I live in Alabama and age of majority is 18, but I was wondering, because I plan to go to another state with my girlfriend, if I could get married (I know, rash, but she says she'd want to for my sake), would I be able to leave the state permanently without my parent's permission?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

You are right, the age of majority in Alabama is 19; which is a year older than the federal majority age of 18. Since the state and federal laws are contradicting, it depends on how your local police would interpret the law and if they would take a runaway report for an 18 year old. The best way to know if they would consider an 18 year old moving out a runaway, is to call your local non-emergency police number and ask. If you call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we can help you call out to your local police.

We are not legal experts, but if you all do decide to get married that would generally emancipate you from your parents care and also make you a legal adult.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like help talking through your situation or help calling out to police. We are here for you 24/7.

Best,

NRS