No.

You must follow certain steps and you must be at least 14 years old to be emancipated.

You start the process, you must fill out court forms, including

• a petition,
• an income declaration,
• a hearing notice, and
• a Declaration of Emancipation.

You can find these forms at your local courthouse, or online at www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp.htm.

Some counties may also ask you to pay a filing fee. Some do not. Most filing fees are between $300 and $350.

If your county charges a fee and you cannot afford to pay, you can ask the court for permission not to pay. (This is called a Fee Waiver.)