diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py b/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
index 4c7fea2e1fdb..bd6b5d967ae4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ def __init__(self, ax, mappable=None, *, cmap=None,
         if np.iterable(ticks):
             self._locator = ticker.FixedLocator(ticks, nbins=len(ticks))
         else:
-            self._locator = ticks  # Handle default in _ticker()
+            self._locator = ticks
 
         if isinstance(format, str):
             # Check format between FormatStrFormatter and StrMethodFormatter
@@ -1095,32 +1095,6 @@ def remove(self):
             # use_gridspec was True
             ax.set_subplotspec(subplotspec)
 
-    def _ticker(self, locator, formatter):
-        """
-        Return the sequence of ticks (colorbar data locations),
-        ticklabels (strings), and the corresponding offset string.
-        """
-        if isinstance(self.norm, colors.NoNorm) and self.boundaries is None:
-            intv = self._values[0], self._values[-1]
-        else:
-            intv = self.vmin, self.vmax
-        locator.create_dummy_axis(minpos=intv[0])
-        locator.axis.set_view_interval(*intv)
-        locator.axis.set_data_interval(*intv)
-        formatter.set_axis(locator.axis)
-
-        b = np.array(locator())
-        if isinstance(locator, ticker.LogLocator):
-            eps = 1e-10
-            b = b[(b <= intv[1] * (1 + eps)) & (b >= intv[0] * (1 - eps))]
-        else:
-            eps = (intv[1] - intv[0]) * 1e-10
-            b = b[(b <= intv[1] + eps) & (b >= intv[0] - eps)]
-        ticks = self._locate(b)
-        ticklabels = formatter.format_ticks(b)
-        offset_string = formatter.get_offset()
-        return ticks, ticklabels, offset_string
-
     def _process_values(self):
         """
         Set `_boundaries` and `_values` based on the self.boundaries and