Moving out at 17 in Michigan

[Unregistered]

I have read that laws vary from county to county and I live in Newaygo County. I turn 18 in less than a month, but I want out now. My home life is not physically absuive, but it is verbally. I'm on different antidepressants and it all comes from my mother. I was adopted from Korea at a very young age and I also have heard that since I am adopted I can move out at 17 without legal issues. My mom is the woman that would call the police and demand something to happen, but I just want to know if anything can really happen. The only thing that is keeping me home right now is the very large sum of money I had in my bank account that my mother withdrew because she did not want me to leave.

[ccsmod15]

Re: Moving out at 17 in Michigan

Hi There,

We are glad you reached out, it sounds like you are in a difficult situation at home with your mother and we are sorry to hear you are going through this. You are asking some great questions, and while we are not legal experts here at the National Runaway Safeline we can try to speak generally on your situation.

You are right in saying that the laws often vary- state to state and sometimes even county to county. Generally speaking you have to be 18 in order to leave home without your legal guardian’s permission. In Michigan you are considered a minor if you are under 18 years old. If you leave home without permission your legal guardian would have the right to file a runaway report. You cannot be arrested or charged for running away however whoever you are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway which is a misdemeanor offence.

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this and we are here to support you. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation and you can always reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY if you would like to talk more in depth about your situation. We are available 24/7 and you can remain confidential.

Best,
~NRS

[Mee]

You can

In the state of Michigan YOU CAN move out without parent consent at the age of 17. I learned from experience. Nothing happens.

[ccsmod9]

RE: You can

Hello,
Thanks for posting about your experience on the National Runaway Safeline forum. Personal stories can be very valuable for youth when trying to decide whether or not they should leave their home.
While this particular statement may have been true for you, policies on running away tend to vary from police department to police department. Sometimes it can even depend on the officer taking the call for the 17 year old runaway. Generally there are no general policies for an entire state.
If anyone reading would like to know their police department’s policy on 17 year old runaways, we invite you to give us a call here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). For any youth contemplating running away but are worried about what the police would do, we’d be happy to make a call for you to your local police on your behalf.
Thanks!
-NRS

[Unregistered]

Just wondering my daughter left home for a sporting event and after that I went to where she was to pick her up and she told me she was not coming home. She just turned 17 and is now living where ever . My question is can I make her come home or call the police. Because she is not 18 we live in Michigan

[ccsmod15]

Re: Moving out at 17 in Michigan

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline – we’re glad you found us. It takes a lot of strength to reach out for support in what sounds like a pretty stressful time for your family. It’s clear that you care for her very much and are concerned for her safety and wellbeing while she’s living outside the home.

We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but we can speak in general terms about your rights as a parent. The age of majority (or adulthood) in Michigan is 18, which means you are legally responsible for taking care of her until she turns 18. This means you have a right to keep her at home. One way to go about enforcing this is to contact the local police and to file a runaway report. Running away is a status offense, not a crime, so if the police found her, they would bring her home. Police departments vary in how much they follow up with runaway reports for 17-year-olds who are close to turning 18, but your local agency could speak in more detail to how they typically follow up. You may also consider providing the police with any leads you may have about her location, garnered from social media or your awareness of her whereabouts. If you have any more questions about strategies for getting her back home, we’re here 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) and would be happy to talk you through your options. We also understand that this can be a very stressful time for you as a parent. If you’d like to talk through what your family is going through with a peer who’s been through something similar, you may consider calling Team H.O.P.E. (Help Offering Parents Empowerment), a support line staffed by parents who are there to listen and support other parents going through situations like yours. They can be reached at 1-866-305-4673.

Again, we’re glad you found us and wish you the best of luck in ensuring your daughter stays safe. Don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or chat if we can be of additional assistance. Best of luck!

Stay Strong,
NRS

[Guest]

i live in michigan and i am turning 17 and i am wanting to leave my parents house and go live with my grandma can i do that?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

Michigan is different than most states, and while the age you become a legal adult is 18, police do not take runaway reports for 17 year olds often. We are not legal experts, and 17 is a grey area in the state so the best way to make sure your legal guardian can’t file you as a runaway with local police is to call your local non-emergency police number and ask if they would take a runaway report for a 17 year old. If they cannot file you as a runaway, they cannot legally force you back home.

If you would like assistance calling out to your local police, please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. Also don’t hesitate to call if you have more questions or would like to talk through your situation.

Best,

NRS

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 youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

[Guest]

I just turned 17 two weeks ago and I've been helping my mother out with the family since she's gotten sick. She's starting to feel better but all the does is yell at me. I've help her get my siblings back and forth to practice and I've helped her with things she's needs around the house. Although no matter what I do she says I don't do anything besides sit on the couch and be lazy. If she tells me what someone has to do then I tell them for her but then she yells at me saying I'm too bossy and very rude.
When I confronted her about how I'm overwhelmed. She just just yells at me. Does she let me get to see my friend, yes she does, but it's only once a week and I say I need a break mom please. I've looked up the laws for michigan where I live and I see that it says I can legally move out at the age of 16. Well I'm 17 and when I do research to see if I can move out at 17 without parental conccon it says that I can alrhalthi have no where to go. I want to see if I stead of running away if I can be put into foster care. She says sucks to be me because no matter what I want she'll never put me back in foster care because she adopted me. What do I do? This situation isn't healthy for me at all

[ccsmod15]

Hey there, thanks for posting today! It sounds like you are quite overwhelmed with helping out around the house and with your siblings so much. It makes sense you are needing a break!
We are not legal experts but we do have general information on laws surrounding leaving home as a minor. If you leave before age 18 in most states, your parents can file a runaway report with police if they would like to. It is not a crime to runaway, but is considered a status offense which means you cannot do it because of your age. You wouldn't be arrested if you left, but you could be held until the police can return you home. Perhaps when you looked it up, you saw age 16 for if you are emancipated. As far as we know, you cannot legally leave home in Michigan without permission until age 18.
As far as going back into foster care, your mom would have to release her parental rights to the state which it doesn't sound like she is interested in doing. Again, we are not legal experts. We do have resources for legal aid if you are interested in asking someone with more experience in the law some of these questions. Call us at 1-800-786-2929 or chat through our website if you would be interested in talking further or getting some resources for your area.

We are so glad you reached out to us today. It sounds like this situation is really taking its toll. If you need emotional support, feel free to reach out to us via phone or chat 24/7 or text the Crisis Text Line anytime at 741-741.

We wish you the best of luck!
Feel free to reach out anytime!

[Guest]

Hello, I was wondering about if my half sister that has been adopted by a foster family can leave when she is 17, I want her to come live with me as I have room for her, if I go and pick her up with her consent can she stay with me or could I get into trouble?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hello, I was wondering about if my half sister

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.

While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If someone is under 18 and leaves home, their parent/guardian may file them as a runaway and they may be returned home. Also, those they stay with while on the run may face the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.

We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

If your half-sister is at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I am currently 16 I will be 17 come March 27 2019 I am also in foster care. In Michigan I live in the county of Wayne near Dearborn, I have been more then stressed about my current situation. I am basically living check to check and as supportive of my significant others family is just amazing and they as well want me out of this situation that I never deserved. But my question is. Can I legally leave my foster home @17 while continuing my independence and to which everyone will most likely know where I am?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I am currently 16 I will be 17


Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you are having a tough time coping with your current living situation. We understand that things can become so stressful that you start looking for options to make a change. You have the right to want to feel good and in a healthy environment. It sounds like you support from people you care about in your life. Good for you.

We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, you could possibly be reported and filed as a runaway with the police.
You might check with your local police department by calling the non-emergency number to inquire about the runaway laws in your state and also if someone who is a ward of the state would be forced to return to foster care or group home.
Even though 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. This may not be the case whereas the youth is a ward of the state. The age of majority could be different. Also anyone found to be harboring or aiding someone to run away may also find themselves at risk legally.


NRS is here to listen and here to help and be supportive.
If you would like to talk more about your situation we are here to listen and here to help.
To speak with someone on our crisis or chat line contact 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runaway.org

We look forward to hearing from you.

Take care,
NRS


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 youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

’m going to be 17 on Friday the 13th and I was wondering if I can leave my foster care placement and not get charges for leaving and I’m also from Croswell michigan

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.

We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

When I turn 17 can I move out without parent consent, what happens if they call the police? Can my friend who is 18 get in trouble for helping and housing me? If I leave with or without consent, can I move to California with my friend?

[ccsmod3]

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are concerned about what happens if you runaway.18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.Be safe.

[Guest]

In Michigan, you can move out at 17 with parental consent. If your parents deny that consent, and you run away, can the police force you to come back? If you runaway at 17, can you rent an apartment or go to appointments by yourself without a parent or would that require emancipation? If a 17 year old was to runaway, what would their living options be? Do teens (specificly 17) get emancipated often for the simple reason of them wanting to live on their own?

[ccsmod6]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It takes a lot to reach out for help, and you're doing the right thing by trying to get more information.

While we're not legal experts here at NRS, our understanding is that in Michigan, you can leave home without parental consent. While we can't say for certain, our understanding is that police would not become involved or require a youth to come home. Landlords might still require that you be 18 to sign a lease, so it may be difficult to rent an apartment right now. The emancipation process varies by state, and because we aren't legal experts we can't say for certain what it would look like in your case. There are shelters that can offer temporary assistance to youth in need; we can help you find some options in your area if you call or chat with us. We can also try to look for some low-cost or free legal resources in your area that might be able to provide more concrete answers.

We're glad that you reached out, and wish you the best. If you'd like to talk through this further, or discuss additional options available to you, don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat with us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and help.

Stay safe,
NRS