Lengthy gun registration lines at the Honolulu Police Department on Beretania Street have City Councilman Ron Menor looking for a solution.

Menor and Councilwoman Kymberly Pine are co-sponsoring a resolution that asks HPD to open up two new registration sites — one in Kaneohe and the other in Kapolei — to allow gun owners to get permits for their firearms.

State law requires anyone with a gun to register it with the county chief of police.

Menor said he introduced the resolution to increase efficiency and cut down on the hassle residents face when trying to comply with state law.

“The situation at the Honolulu Police Department can become so disruptive and unmanageable at times because of the long lines,” Menor said. “I’ve heard of one resident having to wait for up to six hours. Some people are having to miss work to do what’s required under the law.”

Menor has had preliminary discussions with HPD about opening new registration sites at satellite city halls, but said he is waiting to hear more from the agency about the logistics.

“The have been open and they indicated that they have looked into the issue,” Menor said. “It will all come down to what funds and resources are available to make this happen.”

HPD is withholding comment until the resolution is heard at the council’s Public Safety and Economic Development Committee meeting Tuesday morning.

The number of firearm permits issued by the state has spiked over the past several years. A state Attorney General’s Office report in March said 2012 was a record year for the state when it came to the number of permit applications that were processed.

Nearly 22,000 applications were processed statewide in 2012, with about 14,000 of those in Honolulu. The number of guns registered in Hawaii was 50,394. Honolulu registered 30,289 of those.

According to the AG’s Office, the number of applications in 2012 was a 42.2 percent increase from 2011, which was the previous record high for the number of applications processed.

Meanwhile, the national gun control debate rages on. Hawaii has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S., mainly because of the permitting and purchasing process.

Last month HPD Chief Louis Kealoha signed onto a letter condemning the U.S. Senate for not passing gun control legislation that was introduced in the wake of the deadly Newtown, Conn. school shooting in which 26 people were fatally gunned down, including 20 children.

The letter, titled “Disgrace in the U.S. Senate — A Police Perspective,” came from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and criticized lawmakers for caving in to pressure from the national gun lobby to prevent “common-sense measures” to help curb gun violence.