parent violating childs rights?

What is the name of your state? New Jersey

my girlfriend is 21 years old tomorrow and without any form of ID other than her old college ID. she never got a drivers license. We went to get a non driver ID from the DMV, with a photocopy of her birth certificate, and it was rejected. Her mother, who is a little insane, refuses to give her the original copy of her birth certificate, which she has locked in a filing cabinet in her bedroom. But if the child is over 18, I think the parent does not have the right to withhold documents like that, especially something as important as that. They are from Puerto Rico so she doesn't have an American passport and we dont know if the hospital she was born in will be able to provide another sealed copy of the birth certificate. While going through the courts is a last resort, do we at least have a case to present to the mother, to at least say "look, its going to happen one way or the other, we can do it the easy way or the hard way" or something like that. i know this isn't such a drastic issue like physical abuse or something but her rights are being violated. Please if anyone has any suggestions I would be very grateful.

[snostar]

Did DMV give you a list of other possible ways to add up identification points? I'm not sure how NJ DMV works but there may be other ways to prove her identity like a checking account, pay stub or proof of mailing address.

there are "primary" and "secondary" forms if ID and there must be one of both. her school ID is secondary, worth 2 points. The only other forms of primary ID they take other than a birth cert is a US passport, which she doesnt have. also on the list are Certs of naturalization and citizenship, but I dont think she ever had to go through immigration since PR is a US territory. But even if she had those they'd be locked up with her Birth Cert. so its a moot point... this isnt a citizenship issue, she HAS all the paperwork she needs but they are being withheld from her and im pretty sure thats not legal. even if she sent away for new copies, her mother would probably intercept them in the mail and destroy them... like i said, shes nuts. this is an adult-child-living-at-home issue, where her mom thinks everything under her roof belongs to her and her child, though a legal adult, has no property of her own. oi...but thanks for the suggestions.

[snostar]

What her mother is doing is NOT illegal, those documents were issued to her to do with as she pleases. Your girlfriend will just have to attempt get a certified copy (issues outside of the US are not dealt with here). Good luck.