Can i move out at 17?

[Unregistered]

I am 17 years old and will be graduating high school in June, can i legally move out of my parents home into my own apartment with my boyfriend? I have a stable job working the maxium hours i can at this age and am in the process of becoming a LPN, the money for rent,food,clothes and everything else i have, can i move out?

[ccsmod7]

Re: Can i move out at 17?

Hello –

Thanks for reaching out with your questions and telling us a bit about your situation. You mentioned that you would like to move out of your home and live with your boyfriend. The concern is that you are still 17 so you are unsure if you could do this without permission. It definitely sounds like you have thought through your plan and it’s good to hear you have a safe place to stay and income from your job. Have you spoken with your parents about your plans or what you would like to do?

Obviously the easiest way to make this happen would be to get permission from your parents/guardians. In most states the age of majority, when you would be considered an adult, is 18. But 17 can be a bit of a gray area. What that means is that if you leave the police may take a runaway report and/or make you return home. But sometimes depending on how close a youth is to being 18 the police may not do much in regards to taking a report or forcing a youth back home. We do not take reports here and are not affiliated with the police so it’s difficult for us to say how each station will handle every situation. Usually the best way to get the most accurate information for your area is just to reach out to a non-emergency police number and ask a few questions about the age of majority in your area and if they even take reports for youth who are close to 18.

Keep in mind you can always reach out to us directly if you would like to discuss this more in depth. There is always someone available to talk through safe options and find helpful resources. Our services are confidential and anonymous and we are here to listen and here to help. Take care and best of luck with everything.