How long before you can report someone missing?

So my dad never came home last night and his phone has been dead since last night and its still off. Yesterday he got the key to the new apartment he's moving in but he told.me he was coming home at like 8 ish and asked what I wanted for dinner. I had a dentist appt this that was the whole reaso I was down visiting. He can be a flake but husually calls aftt o after or before and explains. I'm gettinworried that his phone is still off and I haven't heard from him. Would it be stupid to report him missing? I'm 17 so I'm still a Minor and I'm leaving tomorrow and I'm getting freaked out. I just don't want to call and het get laughed at. Can they trace his phone? It's an iPhone 3gs. I'm worried like some idiot teenagers might have attacked him the streets he drives home are pretty dangerous and i don't know if he walking or driving. Btw I don't know where his new apartment is so I can't exactly go there. Advice please? This is worrying me.

A week.

If you haven't talked to him since last night I think you should, just to be safe. Because what if he Is missing? And if he isn't just explain that you were worried. Simple.

You should report a person missing if he has been missing for 24 hours.
Well honestly I don't think your dad is okay if he has been missing for over 24 hours.
Well anyways if your dad is missing for over 24 hours call the police and report him missing and don't care If they will laugh at you your father is more important than that

You can call the police right now. But if your afraid of being on bad terms with your father you might want to wait.

You can report an adult missing immediately if there's a problem such as alcoholism where he has blacked out or gotten lost in the past, mental illness, dementia or evidence of abduction.

Are his clothes at home? Is his car at home, di dhe not shwo up at owrk or to some appointment he had? If so there may be a problem but that is up to the police responding to decide.
You do not live with him so you really do not know his current habits or perhaps friends that he may be off partying with.

The 24 hours "rule" is a figment of movie and book writer's imagination but it is true that unless there's a real and solid reason to think that he is in danger in some way that an adult can do whatever they want, including turning off their phone.

If you can show they're really missing, and not just away, you can do it immediately.

It is approximately 7 days (1 week) before they become a missing person.