Marriage

• Most states recognize legal marriage as an automatic emancipation from parental control. For instance, in both Arizona and Colorado, there are no legal processes for emancipation, but statutes recognize married minors as emancipated without a court petition. Other states consider marriage as a way to emancipation, but a legal process must be followed to gain a court order.
  
  

Living Indendently

• Many jurisdictions allow a minor to petition for emancipation if the minor is living independently and supporting himself without parental involvement. In a few of these states, including Wisconsin, automatic emancipation is granted to minors in these circumstances. Some other states require only a notarized declaration signed by both the minor and the parents instead of a petition and court proceedings.
  
  

Age of Majority

• Reaching the age of majority is the most common and easiest way to become emancipated. In most states, reaching this age automatically bestows individuals with all the rights of adulthood with the exception of drinking alcohol. The vast majority of states deem 18 as the "age of majority" while a few others consider it 19 and Mississippi considers it 21.
  
  

Active Duty in the Armed Forces

• Most states that grant emancipation to married minors also give automatic emancipation to any who has joined the armed forces, even if those individuals are under the age of majority. This is especially useful to minors seeking emancipation in the handful of states where the age of majority is above 18.