help?

[Unregisteredd]

I'm 17 turning 18 in 2 months, if I runaway to my boyfriends who is 20 and my mom calls the cops what will happen? I live in California..

[ccsmod6]

Re: help?

Hi there,

Thank you for posting your question on the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) online forum. You ask a really important question about leaving home at 17 in the state of California, however, we are unable to give a specific answer because we are not experts on the law. Generally, if a minor left home without permission from a parent or guardian and a runaway report was filed sometimes police may actively search for the minor, take them into custody and either take them to a juvenile detention facility or return them home. Other times, police may not do anything at all which makes it difficult to give a specific answer because police handle each case differently. It all really depends on what the police are informed of as well as what police protocol is for handling "runaway" minors in the city and county you live in. Another thing to keep in mind is that your mother could press charges against your boyfriend or whomever you stay with if she wished to because "harboring a runaway" is illegal.

If you would like to talk more about your situation or receive more information on where you can obtain legal-specific answers we would be happy to provide support in any way possible. Oftentimes, a legal aid office or local non-emergency police/sheriff's department may best answer those questions for you.

We're just a phone call or chat away and we hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,

NRS