Run away until 18

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline!

It sounds like you are interested in leaving home before turning 18. The easiest way to leave home is with your legal guardian’s permission, as you would be considered a minor. 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 a runaway report, this means that if the police were to find you, they could return you home. Anyone that you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway.

If you have any further questions on the law, contacting your local non-emergency police station may be helpful.

Another way of leaving home is through Child Protective Services, if safety is a concern.

You mentioned emancipation, which could potentially be an option. In most states, you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation can often be a lengthy process and may even cost money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something that you are interested in.

You can reach out to us via phone or chat, we are available 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929 and www.1800runaway.org.

We wish you all the best!

NRS

Hello, thank you for reaching out to NRS!

It's good that you had the initiative to reach out to us for advice before taking action. While we aren't legal experts here at NRS, because you are still a minor at 16, it is within your parents' rights to file a missing persons report if you go off the radar. This means that the police will be obligated to pick you up and release you back into their custody. It is also possible that if you stay with another adult that they will be in trouble for harboring you.

If you have a means of supporting yourself financially, perhaps another option is to pursue emancipation. Although we cannot necessarily guarantee that it is safer, minors between 14-16, depending on the state, can apply for emancipation which means that you have legal independence from your parents or guardians. The main criterion for this is being able to demonstrate your financial independence.

If you have more questions or just want to talk about your situation more with one of our representatives, feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us at 1800runaway.org.

I have no way to get emancipated, and will be gone until 18. I'm sure I won't get caught and I'll be ok,but what happens at 18
??

[ccsmod7]

Hello, thank you for reaching out to NRS!

It's good that you had the initiative to reach out to us for advice before taking action. While we aren't legal experts here at NRS, because you are still a minor at 16, it is within your parents' rights to file a missing persons report if you go off the radar. This means that the police will be obligated to pick you up and release you back into their custody. It is also possible that if you stay with another adult that they will be in trouble for harboring you.

If you have a means of supporting yourself financially, perhaps another option is to pursue emancipation. Although we cannot necessarily guarantee that it is safer, minors between 14-16, depending on the state, can apply for emancipation which means that you have legal independence from your parents or guardians. The main criterion for this is being able to demonstrate your financial independence.

If you have more questions or just want to talk about your situation more with one of our representatives, feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us at 1800runaway.org.

If I run away until 18(16 now) and can support myself financially and everything, when I'm 18, would I still be in legal trouble? I'm talking about leaving from Indiana to Michigan