Can a seventeen year old open an account with her nineteen year old boyfriend, without her parental consent or knowledge?
The answer depends on the laws of the state in which the account is opened and the policies of the bank involved. Several states permit minors to enter into legally-binding bank deposit contracts. Some of those states that do, permit such an account to be jointly owned. Some states permit parents of a minor to intercede and require parental permission; other states specifically prohibit a parent from interfering.
In addition to state laws is another collection of bank policies that vary. Some banks stick strictly to state law, but set a minimum age below which they won't open accounts. Other banks ignore state law and open accounts without specific legal structures for them. Yet others refuse to open accounts for minors in spite of the fact that state law would permit that.
If you are one of the young people in this scenario, be careful about opening a joint account with a boyfriend or girlfriend, no matter how committed you think you are to him or her. Go into it with your eyes open, aware that you will be responsible for each other's use of the account, and that any money you add to the account will belong to each of you equally.
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The answer depends on the laws of the state in which the account is opened and the policies of the bank involved. Several states permit minors to enter into legally-binding bank 