How old do you have to be to move out in Missouri I am going to be 17 in May and?

Answer 1

A parent is legally responsible for his/her child(ren) until the age of 18. However, at 17, a "child" who chooses to live on his/her own may do so. There is not a particular law that allows for this. Instead, it is by operation of law enforcement that we know this to be true. For example, if a parent reports a 17 year old as a "run away," a police officer will investigate the facts of the situation before deterimining how to proceed. If the 17 year old shows that s/he is responsible, safe, and law-abiding outside of his/her parents' home, no action will pursue against the "child".

However, if a 17 year old steals from the parents to have some pocket money, then proceeds to couch-jump from one friend's house to another, drops out of school, isn't working, and is essentially doing nothing to prove that s/he is living as a responsible adult, it is likely that s/he will be treated as a run-away.

In other words, there isn't a "magic age" (before 18). It depends on the circumstances. A 16 year old who is pregnant and living with drug-addicted parents who cannot / will not provide for her basic needs, for example, may choose to leave home to better provide for herself and her unborn child. In the unlikely event that the matter ends up in court, the juvenile is very likely to "win" her emancipation. By showing that she is responsible enough to remove herself and her unborn child from a toxic environment, she shows that she is behaving as a responsible adult, even more so than her own parents.