runaway laws in california

[Unregistered]

My boyfriend & Me

Hi im 17 year's old and i been havinq some problems with my parent's and Im just getting so tierd of it im in highschool and plan to go to college i will me finshing high school next year i been dating my boyfriend for a while were planning to get married soon ....but all the problems i have with my parents i wanted to know if i runaway with my boyfriend what would happen???

[Unregistered]

re: Runaway laws in California

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like you are having some problems with your family and that you are wanting to runaway. Have you ever runaway before? It can be difficult when you are having problems with your parents to know what to do.

You asked what might happen if you run away. While we’re not legal experts here, we can tell you that in most places, running away is considered a status offense. What that means is that if your parents were to file you as a runaway and then you were found by the police, you would be returned to them. If you have specific questions about your rights or laws in your area, you can always contact the non-emergency police department. You can also contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY 24 hours a day or through our live chat at 1800runaway.org 4:30-11:30pm CST to discuss more options that you have and get resources in your area.

Thanks again for reaching out to us, we’re glad you did. Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Unregistered]

girlfriend getting kicked out???

Hey my girlfriend is 16 and her dad is going to kick her out probably with in the next few days because her sister is making things at the house worse for her is it possible for me to get in trouble for letting her move in with me ????

[ccsmod10]

RE: Girlfriend getting kicked out???

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us during this difficult time. It sounds like you are very concerned for your girlfriend. It is good she has a supportive person to lean on during this crisis. Her father is technically responsible for her until she is no longer a minor.

Should he report her as a runaway, her information would be entered into a national database that would require law enforcement to return her back home. Technically, running away is not illegal. However, anyone that she would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. Since laws vary from state to state, the best way to get the most direct answer would be to contact your local law enforcement and ask what the legal consequences would be. We are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, however we can help you find legal aid in your area that may be able to help you.

What other options has your girlfriend explored? We are a confidential and anonymous hotline. We are available 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are also available by live chat from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time at www.1800runaway.org. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you both the best of luck.

-NRS

[Unregistered]

6wtstt

im 16 years old and i have softball games in las vegas, and i live in california. My dad is ok with it, and my mom isnt. I still plan on going, im am very serious on my softball career. i told them exactly where i am going and where i am staying. i plan on coming back, so i was wondering if its still considered a runaway. if so, what are the consequences?

[ccsmod10]

RE: 6wtstt

Hello,
Thank you for contacting us. It sounds like you are planning on taking this trip to help your athletic career. You mentioned that your father has given you permission to go, but your mother has not. Would your mom call the police? If your mother reported you missing, your information would be entered into a national database stating that if found, you would be returned to your legal guardians.

Although running away isn’t technically against the law, anyone that you would be caught staying with could be possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. Have you tried talking to your mom about how important this softball trip is for you?

Here at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929) we are completely confidential, anonymous and toll-free. We would love to hear from you and help you explore what options you have available as well as offer any resources that might be of use. We can also be reached by live chat from 4:30pm -11:30 pm Central Standard Time at www.1800runaway.org. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

California runaway laws

Ok , so im a 16 year old girl in California , I have been working since I was 14 , making money for myself. im soon to be 17 this June , what would happen to me if I decided to leave home due to rough conditions at home with my mom, and she tried to report me to the police as a runaway and report the person taking me in who is 18, what will happen? Or more like I really want to know , once this happens , will the police even look for me? Will they even consider it illegal , and me actually running away ? I'm capable of providing for myself, I've been buying my clothes, necessities, bus fair, had for people who have given me rides to work, I think I can provide for myself, I have a place to go..I just don't want any problems caused for them .

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us and telling us your story. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now and we think it was great that you are looking for assistance. Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we aren’t legally trained but we may be able to give you some general ideas of what would happen as well as providing you with some resources.

It sounds like you are currently 16 years old and have been financially sorting yourself since you were 14. It also sounds like you are thinking about leaving home due to the rough conditions there. We think it’s great that you are trying to plan for your safety as well as ensuring that the people who help you don’t get into trouble. Hopefully, we can help you find some of the resources and assistance you are looking for.

You said that you are planning on leaving home due to the conditions there; can you tell us more about that? Again, we aren’t legally trained here so we can’t give you specific answers but we can give you a general idea about what would happen. Since you are under 18 years old, your parents are still considered to be your legal guardians and are responsible for you. If you were to leave home without their permission, they may have the option of filing a runaway report with the police. That report could also be listed in the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) so that police in other states would see it also.

Generally speaking, running away isn’t illegal but it is considered a status offense. A status offense is something you can’t do because you are a minor (such as running away, skipping school or missing curfew). If you were to leave home and a report was filed, the police would either return you to your mom or take you to the police department to call your mom. Also, if you were found with people who are over 18, they could possibly get into trouble for harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The consequences for that vary by state so we wouldn’t be able to tell you what exactly would happen.

We also wouldn’t be able to tell you what specifically would happen if a report was filed. Some police departments may be look for you and some may not; again, it varies by police department. If you would like to know what would happen specifically, you may be able to call the local police department and ask them what their policies are. If you want to look into this option but aren’t comfortable calling the police yourself, we can help you make a conference call to them.

There may also be some legal aid resources that we can give you the numbers too but we would need to know what city in California you are located in. You can call us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), 24 hours a day and we can help you look for those numbers. We are completely confidential and anonymous so we wouldn’t tell anyone that you had called. If you aren’t comfortable calling us, you can also chat with us online from 4:30 PM-11:30 PM (CST) and that can be found on our website (www.1800runaway.org).

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

~NRS

[Unregistered]

I am 15 and i already ran away and i live in los angeles,california and i want to go back home without going to jail or anything going on my record because i wanna continue my education i dont know what yo do please repjy bakk thank you

[ccsmod11]

Re: runaway laws in california

Hi, thanks for reaching out to us today.

It sounds like you really do want to go back home, but avoiding any consequences is the most important thing to you. There are a couple things to think about: have you talked with your parents/guardian yet about your plan to come home? Sometimes talking with your family before you arrive home can help ease any of the possible tension. Here at NRS if you call our hotline, we offer a conference call between youths and their parents. We can help support you while on the phone with your parent(s) if you do not feel comfortable talking directly to them by yourself.

We also offer a message service where we can personally deliver a message to your mom/dad/guardian about your plan to come home and what you hope your return will look like. If you’d like to talk more about options how to return back home, you can call us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are 24/7 and always here to listen and help as best as we can. If you feel more comfortable using the computer, we also have an online chat service 4:30-11:30 p.m. central time. We hope to hear from you soon if you’d like to talk more about options to return home.

-NRS

[sonya]

im need help

OK I plan to runaway to California with my boyfriend and I'm only 14 and want to no how much trouble could I get in and if it is illegal

[ccsmod8]

re: im need help

Hey there and thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you are wanting to runaway to be with your boyfriend but are worried about what might happen. It’s great that you are thinking ahead and hopefully we can help you. Are you in a situation where running away seems like the only way that the two of you can be together? You must really care about each other if you are considering running away at 14. Have you thought about how you would survive and support yourself?

Although we are not legal experts we can tell you that because you are a minor at 14 in California, if you runaway you would be committing what is generally considered a status offense. What that means is that the police would return you home if they found you as a runaway. Depending on where you stay, they would also be required to notify your parents or the police (if they were a shelter) or (if it is a friend/relative) that person may be at legal risk of committing what is called “harboring a runaway” and is often a criminal offense. Have other legal questions? You can always call your local police department through the non-emergency line to ask about laws specific to your area.

Sometimes it can be helpful to think about what might need to change in order for things to work out at home so we can explore some other options together. If you want to call us, we are here 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY to talk with you more about your situation and see what else we can do to help. We are also around via live chat from 4:30-11:30pm CST if you prefer to reach out online. Take care,
-NRS

[Unregistered]

So my parents moved to Texas and left me in California AND reported me as a runaway. My mother had my dropped and won't let me re-enroll in any school unless I move to Texas. Moving to Texas IS NOT AN OPTION i'm willing to choose. I desperately want to finish school but I don't have the papers I need and i'm scared the school or the cops will take me to Texas.

What do I do?

I need all the advice I can get. Everyone I've talked to says i'm in a gray zone and there's really nothing that can be done.

Also my dad has said "good luck to her". So could that possibly mean that i'm on my own?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us and telling us about what’s going on. It sounds like you are in a very difficult situation right now and it’s great that you reached out to us. Hopefully we can provide you with some resources that would be able to give you additional support and assistance.

It sounds like your parents recently moved to TX but allowed for you to stay in CA but since then your mom has reported you as a runaway and dropped you from school. We are sorry to hear about all that has been going on. Can you tell us more about why your mom may have done that? It also sounds like moving to TX is not an option for you but you don’t have the ability to enroll in classes in TX. One option that may be available is to enroll in classes through McKinney-Vento; every school has a liaison on staff that you would be able to talk to. Unfortunately, we don’t know if the school would notify the police that you are trying to enroll.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are a confidential and anonymous hotline for youth so you can call us at anytime if you would like to talk more about what’s going on or explore what options may be available to you. You can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our online chat services from 4:30 PM-11:30 PM (CST), 7 days a week; that can be found on our website (www.1800runaway.org).

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck!

~NRS

[Unregistered]

17 Year Old Wanting To Move

Hi so my 17 year old girlfriend lives in Florida with her grandparents and turns 18 in 2 months. February.. And wants to move in with me and my family in California. She has sent over her transcripts and everything to go to school with me here, she just needs to turn 18 to enroll.. She was planning on just coming in February but she wants to come now because her grandparents are rough with her physically.

Her being 17.. She would be a 'runaway' right? Would she get in trouble? Would we get in trouble for allowing her here? We are financially stable and she can transfer her job here if she needs.Just want to know the laws and stuff from state to stateand if we would get in any sort of trouble from it. She's going to be 18 in February like I said..