Re: Leaving Home at 16
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’re trying to figure out the legal options that your boyfriend has to live with you. It’s great that you’re asking these questions.
We aren’t legal experts here, but we can speak generally about what we know. In the state of Washington, youth are considered a minor until they are 18 years old. That means that the parents would be legally responsible for your boyfriend until they’re 18 and he would need their permission to leave home. If he doesn’t have their permission and he leaves home regardless, his parents could file a runaway report, which notifies the police that he has left home and the police would probably bring him back home.
You said you were looking for some solid answers, and as we aren’t legal experts here, you may want to reach out to your local non-emergency police number and ask them what would hypothetically happen in a situation like this.
If you have any more questions or if your boyfriend wants to talk to us as well, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or use our live chat on our website www.1800runaway.org.
Best of luck!
NRS
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Leaving Home at 16
My boyfriend turns 16 a month after I turn 18. He wants to move in with my friend and I when that happens, but we aren't sure on how safe that would be. We live in Washington state. Basically, he won't have the permission of his parents/guardians but in that case can his parents have him taken from our home and returned to them/can we get in legal trouble for keeping him? I was told from a semi non-reliable source that if a person is 16 and they leave home the police can't force them to leave their new residence and return home as long as the minor's parents know where they are and have contact with them, or the minor is reported to be staying at their new residence by the people they're with to local law enforcement and the parents of the minor. Just hoping I can get solid answers, thanks!
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