COUNTYWIDE : Group to Give Out Emancipation Book

Interface, a nonprofit family services organization in Ventura County, is giving away a workbook on the requirements young people must meet to become legally emancipated.

Under some circumstances, people between 14 and 17 may be legally recognized as adults by the state. This allows them to have their own medical insurance and sign for their own drivers’ licenses, for example.

“They don’t have to get parental permission for anything” if they are legally emancipated, said Brenda Benedict, an Interface official.

Minors must be completely self-sufficient for at least three months to be considered for emancipation. They must pay their own rent and expenses, be employed, have at least a C average in school and have parental consent for their emancipation.

Runaways, high school dropouts, or those with criminal records or histories of drug abuse are not eligible.

“It’s tough to get,” Benedict said. “There’s been only a couple in the past five years.”

Interface charges a $35 fee for aid in emancipation cases; court fees for the process are more than $100.