Can I legally leave home at 17 in Texas and will the police force me home?

Question

I'm 17 living in San Antonio Texas. Me and my "mom" are not the best living together. About 5 months ago I moved out and got my own apartment with a roommate. I have held down the same job for a year since the first day I turned 16 .  I recently had to move back in with her due to my roommate being pregnant and her crazy boyfriend being ... Crazy. Many ways me and my mom don't really go together. I took one of my friends in to life with us to see what I feel. My mom calls me all types of names and on many occasions makes me cry. She basically almost threatens me every time I want to say something. I have no say in anything I do plus she makes me give her 20 dollars every time there's something that's not cleaned. I'm one of four kids and for some reason it happends to me. I basically wanna know if I can leave ..(I mean she's always telling me if I don't like it to go) but when I do try to leave for my own safety she tells me that she has control over everything until my 18th birthday.

Lynn Bodoni · Answer

It's not actually legal to leave home until you are 18 in Texas.  However, the cops won't drag you back home if you leave at 17, as long as you're keeping out of trouble.

And to another answerer, the age of consent has to do with whether or not someone is considered competent to consent to sex.  In Texas, if an adult has sex with someone under 17, that adult can be charged with statutory rape, even if the teen wanted to have sex.  If an adult has sex with a 17 year old, though, and the 17 year old says that s/he consented, it's not rape.  Note that Texas still has laws on the books against homosexual sex, even though the Supreme Court has overruled these laws.

Anonymous · Answer

Not sure about your part of Texas but in west Texas the police will do nothing if you stay out of trouble pay your rent on time just down the road their are four young guys living in a small rental they keep to themselves and kind of fixing up the place as best they can I take their age to be about 16 maybe 17

siamesedharma · Answer

The age of consent is 17 in your state. 

In Texas you can move out and be on your own at age 17. My brother in Mesquite was having problems with his daughter and she moved out the day she turned 17. The parents called the police but the police could not force her to go home.

Chet · Answer

Without parental consent the police can not force you back home if a 17 year old moves out. Here is the Texas Attorney Generals opinion on this:
https://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/op/2003/htm/ga0125.htm

But without parental consent anyone you move in with can be charged with harboring a runaway (other than certain family members.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.25.htm#25.06

. · Answer

Can't deal with mommy making you cry.
Can't deal with a roommates whackjob roommate.
What makes you think you're ready for the real world? You're not - which is precisely why you're living at home again.

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Can I legally leave home at 17 in Texas and will the police force me home?

5 Answers