A line of nearly 100 people, some of whom had been waiting since Tuesday, greeted city officials this morning outside the municipal building downtown to apply for Fourth of July camping permits.

Officials said the lines were equally long at satellite city halls in Kapolei and Wahiawa. Today is the first day for campers to apply for permits to spend the July 4th weekend at the city’s 203 campsites in 14 parks around Oahu.

By the end of the year, the long lines before the start of holiday weekends could be a thing of the past. A new city law allows for online registration for camping permits and requires campers to pay a fee to reserve a site.

The state already allows online registration for its campsites.

Toni Robinson, city parks volunteer, said the fee could cost as much as $10 to $15 a campsite, but would be subject to public hearings before they are enacted.

Joshua Solartorio and family members were the first in line to apply for five campsites at Waimanalo. Solartorio said his family has been camping at Waimanalo since “we were kids.”