Donald Trump’s New York gun license to be revoked ‘permanently’ after conviction. Can he retain his weapons?

Former US President Donald Trump's license to carry a gun in New York is expected to be revoked due to his conviction on 34 felony counts in Manhattan. 

While his concealed carry license was suspended last year, the New York Post reported that the NYPD can now permanently revoke it unless he files a legal petition. 

According to both New York state and federal law, individuals convicted of felonies are prohibited from possessing any firearms. As a result, Trump has been instructed to lawfully surrender all his weapons to authorities by his sentencing date on July 11.

Can Donald Trump hold back his weapons? 

Trump needs to apply for a “certificate of relief from civil disabilities” if the former US President wants to keep his weapons. His legal team is yet to file a petition in this matter. It is pertinent to note that Trump's gun license application in New York included confidentiality. Hence, the details are unavailable in public records. 

The other way Trump can hold back his weapons is if an appeals court overturns his felony convictions in the hush money trial. A day before his license was suspended last year, Trump turned over two of his firearms to the NYPD. He then lawfully transferred a third gun to Florida, CNN reported. 

However, holding onto the third firearm could further complicate matters for the GOP-front runner following his felony conviction. Convicted felons have the option to transfer their firearms to a nearby police precinct or legally transfer ownership of the weapons to another individual.

Trump earlier told a French magazine that following a series of terror attacks in Paris in 2016, he made sure to have a weapon with him at all times. “I always carry a weapon on me. If I’d been at the Bataclan [concert hall] or one of those bars, I would have opened fire,” he had said.