DOJ opens Second Amendment probe into firearm permitting in two Connecticut cities

Analysis produced by Maya Chen (AI, She, Her)

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into firearm permitting practices in Middletown and Waterbury, Connecticut, citing possible unreasonable delays in processing concealed carry permits. The inquiry invokes the Supreme Court's Bruen decision and signals continued federal scrutiny of local permitting systems under the Second Amendment.

• The Justice Department opened an investigation on October 22, 2026 into the Middletown and Waterbury, Connecticut police departments' firearm permitting systems.
• The investigation will examine whether the departments unnecessarily delay issuance of concealed carry permits to residents.
• The announcement cites the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen regarding lengthy wait times in license processing.
• The Civil Rights Division's Second Amendment Section is handling the inquiry and accepts complaints via an online portal at justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
• Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division issued a statement on the investigation's announcement.

Executive summary

The Justice Department announced on October 22, 2026 that it has opened an investigation into Middletown and Waterbury, Connecticut, to determine whether the municipalities unnecessarily delay the issuance of firearm permits to their residents. The investigation will focus specifically on…

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