moving out legally at age 17

[Unregistered]

Hi. My parents aren't allowing my best friend to move in with us any longer. My boyfriend is in the army & he's willing to buy an apartment for me , so me & my best friend can live together she's 18. I'm sick of being home & they don't really support me in my future if they call the cops on me will I keep a runaway?

[ccsmod15]

Re: moving out legally at age 17

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to us. Reaching out for guidance takes a lot of courage and you are brave enough to do so. It sounds like your parents were going to allow your friend to move in but have now changed their mine. You are upset about this and think it will be better to move out with your friend into an apartment your boyfriend will get. You have legal concerns since you are under aged.
Generally, when a youth is under the age of 18 their parents have a right to file a runaway report with the police. This will give police permission to bring you back home to your parents if they find you. If your parents want to press charges against the person you were with, in this instance your boyfriend, they do have a right to do so.
One thing you can consider is to wait until you are 18 years old so that you can make this choice without legal consequences. Speaking with your parents about moving out can be another option for you. You did mention you don’t like to be home so occupying your time away from home can possibly help you get through your time at home. Some options to occupy your time can be to work more, extracurricular activity, social groups, hobbies or clubs. If your parents will be okay with you staying at a different place like a family member’s house or a close friend they can approve of can be another option for you.
We do hope that everything works itself out for you. We are sorry that you are going through a tough time. If you would like to talk more about your situation we would be happy to help. We can be reach 24 hours every day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We wish you the best.
Kind regards,
NRS