diff --git a/smt/surrogate_models/gpx.py b/smt/surrogate_models/gpx.py
index 8a2993d9b..844a1b5e7 100644
--- a/smt/surrogate_models/gpx.py
+++ b/smt/surrogate_models/gpx.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import numpy as np
-import pickle
 
 from smt.surrogate_models.surrogate_model import SurrogateModel
 
@@ -173,7 +172,6 @@ def save(self, filename):
         """
         self._gpx.save(filename)
 
-
     @staticmethod
     def load(filepath):
         """Load the model from a previously saved GPX model.
diff --git a/smt/surrogate_models/idw.py b/smt/surrogate_models/idw.py
index bb489aba7..aa08b3776 100644
--- a/smt/surrogate_models/idw.py
+++ b/smt/surrogate_models/idw.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 This package is distributed under New BSD license.
 """
 
-import pickle
 import numpy as np
 
 from smt.surrogate_models.idwclib import PyIDW
@@ -133,22 +132,3 @@ def _predict_output_derivatives(self, x):
 
         dy_dyt = {None: jac}
         return dy_dyt
-    
-    def _save(self, filename=None):
-        if filename is None:
-            filename = self.filename
-
-        try:
-            with open(filename, 'wb') as file:
-                pickle.dump(self, file)
-                print("model saved")
-        except:
-            print("Couldn't save the model")
-
-    def _load(self, filename):
-        if filename is None:
-            return ("file is not found")
-        else:
-            with open(filename, "rb") as file:
-                sm2 = pickle.load(file)
-                return sm2
diff --git a/smt/surrogate_models/rbf.py b/smt/surrogate_models/rbf.py
index fbe5c213f..90912f282 100644
--- a/smt/surrogate_models/rbf.py
+++ b/smt/surrogate_models/rbf.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 """
 
 import numpy as np
-import pickle
 from scipy.sparse import csc_matrix
 
 from smt.surrogate_models.rbfclib import PyRBF
@@ -215,22 +214,3 @@ def _predict_output_derivatives(self, x):
         dy_dyt = (dytl_dyt.T.dot(dstates_dytl.T).dot(dy_dstates.T)).T
         dy_dyt = np.einsum("ij,k->ijk", dy_dyt, np.ones(ny))
         return {None: dy_dyt}
-    
-    def _save(self, filename=None):
-        if filename is None:
-            filename = self.filename
-
-        try:
-            with open(filename, 'wb') as file:
-                pickle.dump(self, file)
-                print("model saved")
-        except:
-            print("Couldn't save the model")
-
-    def _load(self, filename):
-        if filename is None:
-            return ("file is not found")
-        else:
-            with open(filename, "rb") as file:
-                sm2 = pickle.load(file)
-                return sm2
diff --git a/smt/surrogate_models/rmts.py b/smt/surrogate_models/rmts.py
index c0ebac2a8..a672e4e3f 100644
--- a/smt/surrogate_models/rmts.py
+++ b/smt/surrogate_models/rmts.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from numbers import Integral
 
 import numpy as np
-import pickle
 import scipy.sparse
 
 from smt.surrogate_models.surrogate_model import SurrogateModel
@@ -585,22 +584,3 @@ def _predict_output_derivatives(self, x):
                 dy_dyt[kx - 1] = np.einsum("ij,jkl->ikl", dy_dw, dw_dyt)
 
         return dy_dyt
-    
-    def _save(self, filename=None):
-        if filename is None:
-            filename = self.filename
-
-        try:
-            with open(filename, 'wb') as file:
-                pickle.dump(self, file)
-                print("model saved")
-        except:
-            print("Couldn't save the model")
-
-    def _load(self, filename):
-        if filename is None:
-            return ("file is not found")
-        else:
-            with open(filename, "rb") as file:
-                sm2 = pickle.load(file)
-                return sm2