A judge must normally determine the youngster has adequate adult-like maturity to be on his or her own for it to be lawful to move out at 17 (or 16 for that matter), the emancipation of a minor. Financial security In general, minors must demonstrate their ability to support themselves in order to be emancipated. The courts look at several factors when determining if a young person is able to support himself or herself including age, education, health, work history, responsibility as well as other factors. For example, if you were to find a job where you would make $50,000 per year and your employer offered to pay for your college tuition, it might Be enough money for you to be able to live on while you go to school. College is expensive so you'll need to make sure that you are able to pay for these costs Otherwise, you'll have to drop out which will make your time there really useless. In addition to financial support, courts also consider whether there's a provision in the young person's lease, contract or other agreement with a landlord permitting him or her to leave before the end of the term. For example, if you Were to sign a one-year lease and could prove that you had found another place to live, a judge might grant you permission to leave early. If you didn't find another place soon after signing the lease, you'd still be required to stay until the end of the term.