What to do if your child runs away in Texas?
In some states, it is a crime to run away from home if you are not an emancipated minor. In other states, running away from home may not be considered a crime, however a child can be taken into custody and made a ward of the Juvenile court system and either be returned to their parents or placed in a suitable home.
Is running away illegal in the US?
In Texas, you are an adult for criminal purposes at 17. For civil purposes, you are not an adult until 18. So the moment the clock strikes midnight on your birthday in TX you can move out. Of course, your parents might not let you take anything with you - cell phone, etc.
Can you leave at 17 in Texas?
(The Texas legislature has recently discussed moving the age of legal maturity from 17 to 18 years of age. One argument for increasing the age is that a 17-year-old is considered a minor for family law purposes, whereas the same individual is considered an adult under the Penal Code.