Federal investigators are examining how Middletown and Waterbury, Connecticut, issue concealed-carry licenses. Waterbury generates the most statewide appeals of denied firearm permits, with nearly 80 hearings scheduled through June 2027, about four times the totals in Bridgeport and East Hartford.

Diane Whitney, chair of the state firearms permit board, said Waterbury matters appear at every session, that the denials are not frivolous, and that the city can be conservative. In September the board reversed two Waterbury denials and upheld one; those reversals were the only successful appeals among 16 cases heard.

Attorney Ralph Sherman said some municipalities take more than four months despite an eight-week statutory window, that Waterbury delays look like staffing shortfalls rather than intent, and that the denials themselves warrant review. Applicants still need a local temporary permit before state police issue a five-year license, though a 2024 law lets people who wait 16 weeks file an affidavit and continue without that local paper.