Skyrim treats lockpicks as party favors. Merchants buy and sell them. Ordinary people walk around with them in their pockets. Locked chests contain them and even children’s toys have a chance to drop them.

Lockpicks are Illicit (a sister mod to my Skooma is Illicit) changes that nonsense by keeping respectable (and semi-respectable) merchants from buying or selling lockpicks. Criminal and other questionable merchants will continue trade in them, however. The mod also removes lockpicks from chests, pockets and other containers. This new rarity is reflected in a modest price increase for lockpicks.

Similar mods, either remove them from leveled lists or limit their availability with merchants. This mod does both, and a little bit more.

Technically speaking, this mod:

• Adds the VendorNoSale keyword to lockpicks so general goods merchants won't buy or sell them.
• Changes the general lockpick levelled lists chances to return zero lockpicks to 100%
• Removes lockpicks from several leveled lists, including chests, pockets and toys as well as a few NPCs.
• Creates new illicit vendor and level lists usable by select merchants (Thieves’ Guild and Khajiit merchants mainly).
• Does not edit placed lockpicks the game world.
• Gives bandits and thieves new chances to drop lockpicks.
• Increases the value of lockpicks since they are now harder to find.
  

It's all pretty straightforward with no script changes or additions. Should be fine to add or remove mid-game. Leveled and vendor list changes may take a few days to update depending on your settings.

Compatibility:

Mods that that alter certain vendor lists, leveled lists and containers will conflict. Patching the conflicts manually in xEdit should be easy. Including it in a Bashed or Smashed patch should do the trick as well.

Mods that add craftable lockpicks should be fine. In fact, this mod should compliment them as long as you can’t exploit the new lockpick price in this mod.

This mod alters five minor NPCs (one is a corpse) that I don't think have been touched by other mods. If you do find a mod that conflcits (like black face, maybe), let me know and i'll make a patch.

Requires the Hearthfire and Dragonborn DLCs. Any changes from USSEP have been forwarded, but its not a hard requirement.

The plugin is an ESPFEs.

Compatibility with Skooma is Illicit:

There is a synergy patch in the optional files section that should be loaded after Skooma is Illicit and Lockpicks are Illicit to make them play nicely together. I’d merge all three into one plugin, but that’s just me.

Credits

Inspired by mods like Merchants and Citizens Have No Lockpicks by Old Nick and Lockpicks Ain't Bobby Pins by Klaus (both are excellent) as well as many other similar mods.

Made with xEdit and a hefty assist from UESPWiki.

Thanks

All of the modders who provide their work for our enjoyment. Seriously. Send them a donation or at least a kudo. Endorse the mods you use.

The MO2 devs (buy them a Ko-Fi) and a few of the people who help keep modding fun and interesting in the Mod Organizer 2 Dev Discord server: Elwaps, paleo, Nyx and KhrysINXS.

If you want to find me on Discord, I’m twizz0r#5776 and usually in the #modding channel of Mod Organizer 2 Dev.

Postscript: I’m always up for help and constructive criticism, but I’m not here for  abuse.  If you don’t like my  work, then don’t use it and move along.