I’m 17, graduating High School, and want to move out

[Guest]

I’m going to be graduating in May and want to move out of my Father’s house. I have a family that I go to church with that I live with on the weekends. I would like to move in with them full-time upon graduation. I turn 18 in August, but I just don’t feel like living in my Father’s home is best for me mentally. He drinks a lot and isn’t very supportive emotionally. I live in Georgia. What are my options?

[ccsmod6]

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We’re sorry to hear that living in your father’s home seems to be detrimental to your mental health. Typically, in any state, you are required to live where your parents decide so long as you are a minor. Additionally, your guardian would be entitled to file a runaway report with the police if you leave home without their permission. This doesn’t mean you would be arrested, but if you did encounter the police with a runaway report out, they would be permitted to notify your guardian and in most cases take you home.


However, while we are not legal experts and cannot guarantee any particular event happening, we have heard that in some cases the police do not pursue or enforce runaway reports on 17 year olds just because they are so close to the age of majority. It might be a good idea to talk to any of your peers who have run away, they might have a better sense of how the police might actually act. Or, you could call your local police non-emergency number and ask them what you are allowed to do by their standards and they might be able to provide a more concrete answer.


If you want to talk more about what is going on and what other options you have, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or on chat at 1800runaway.org.


Take care,

NRS