There are two categories of charges processed by the juvenile system:

1. The first type of charge is referred to as a "Status Offense",  which is defined as any offense committed by a youth under the age of 18, that if committed by an adult would not constitute a criminal offense; e.g. runaway*, ungovernable, curfew and truancy.
2. The second type of charge is termed is a "Delinquent Offense", which is defined as any offense that, if committed by both a juvenile and an adult, constitutes a criminal offense e.g., shoplifting, theft, trespassing, burglary, etc.

If a juvenile is alleged to have committed an offense and has received a ticket, that ticket is referred to the Youth Court Probation Department either by the Sheriff's Department, the City Police Department, the University Police, or other law enforcement agency. The Chief Probation Officer reviews all tickets and accompanying reports. A ticket may be either dismissed if it does not meet the threshold for moving through the court system, settled by a warning, or assigned to a Juvenile Probation Officer for hearing.

If a ticket is assigned, office management staff sends a "notice to appear" letter directing the youth and parent or guardian to appear before a Juvenile Probation Officer. It is a legal requirement that a parent or guardian must appear with the youth at the hearing. This procedure is called an "intake hearing". If the youth and parent/guardian do not appear for a scheduled  hearing, the matter may be forwarded to the County Attorney for formal processing which may necessitate an appearance before a District Court Judge.

* If your child has runaway from home, you must fill out and submit the Missoula Police Department's Status Offense Reporting Form.  The form is also available at the Missoula Police Department front desk. The youth's information  will be entered in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) national database. If your child returns home prior to law enforcement contact, you must advise the Missoula Police Department and their name will be removed from the NCIC list.