Lockpicking

Lockpicking is the ability to open locked doors, chests, junkboxes, and lockboxes. It can be performed in three ways:

The rogue class has a trained ability, [Pick Lock], which allows them to open locked items. This can be learned at level 20 from any rogue trainer. Lockpicking skill is 5 times the rogue's level.
Blacksmiths can craft skeleton keys which are able to open locks of different levels. Each recipe yields multiple keys which can only be used by blacksmiths with the appropriate blacksmithing skill. The keys are consumed after successfully lockpicking an object.
Engineers can craft Seaforium Charges which provide a similar function to skeleton keys. Only engineers with the appropriate engineering skill can use the charges. The charges are consumed after successfully lockpicking an object.

Methods[]

Source	Method	Unlocks
Rogue	[Pick Lock] @ level 20	100
	[Pick Lock] @ level 40	200
	[Pick Lock] @ level 60	300
	[Pick Lock] @ level 80	400
	[Pick Lock] @ level 85	425
	[Pick Lock] @ level 90	450
Blacksmithing	[Silver Skeleton Key]	25
	[Golden Skeleton Key]	125
	[Truesilver Skeleton Key]	200
	[Arcanite Skeleton Key]	300
	[Cobalt Skeleton Key]	375
	[Titanium Skeleton Key]	400
	[Obsidium Skeleton Key]	525
Engineering	[Small Seaforium Charge]	150
	[Large Seaforium Charge]	250
	[Powerful Seaforium Charge]	300
	[Elemental Seaforium Charge]	350
	[Volatile Seaforium Blastpack]	400
	[Locksmith's Powderkeg]	450
Jewelcrafting	[Jeweled Lockpick]	550

In the early closed beta, mages had a spell called [Khadgar's Unlocking] which could unlock lockboxes and doors by consuming a reagent, but this spell was removed in Patch 0.9.

Pickable locks[]

Inventory chests[]

Lockboxes
Item	Skill	Source
[Ornate Bronze Lockbox]	1	Looted from level ~20-25 mobs
[Heavy Bronze Lockbox]	25	Looted from level ~25-30 mobs
[Iron Lockbox]	70	Looted from level ~30-35 mobs
[Strong Iron Lockbox]	125	Looted from level ~35-40 mobs
[Steel Lockbox]	175	Looted from level ~40-45 mobs
[Reinforced Steel Lockbox]	225	Looted from level ~45-50 mobs
[Mithril Lockbox]	225	Looted from level ~50-55 mobs
[Thorium Lockbox]	225	Looted from level ~55-60 mobs
[Eternium Lockbox]	225	Looted from level ~60-65 mobs
[Khorium Lockbox]	325	Looted from level ~65-70 mobs
[Froststeel Lockbox]	375	Looted from level ~70-75 mobs
[Titanium Lockbox]	400	Looted from level ~75-80 mobs
[Tiny Titanium Lockbox]	400	Looted from [Bag of Fishing Treasures]
[Elementium Lockbox]	425	Looted from level ~80-85 mobs
[Ghost Iron Lockbox]	450	Looted from ~85-90 mobs
[True Steel Lockbox]	500	Looted from Shattered Hand Lockbox
[Leystone Lockbox]	550	Looted from ~98-110 mobs
[Barnacled Lockbox]	600	Looted from mobs in Nazjatar

Junkboxes
Item	Skill	Source
[Battered Junkbox]	1	Pickpocketed from level ~20-30 mobs
[Worn Junkbox]	70	Pickpocketed from level ~30-40 mobs
[Sturdy Junkbox]	175	Pickpocketed from level ~40-50 mobs
[Heavy Junkbox]	250	Pickpocketed from level ~50-60 mobs
[Strong Junkbox]	300	Pickpocketed from level ~60-70 mobs
[Reinforced Junkbox]	350	Pickpocketed from level ~70-80 mobs
[Flame-Scarred Junkbox]	400	Pickpocketed from level ~80-85 mobs
[Vine-Cracked Junkbox]	450	Pickpocketed from level ~85-90 mobs
[Iron-Bound Junkbox]	525?

Miscellanous
Item	Skill	Source
[Practice Lock]	1	Crafted with Engineering (100)
[Small Locked Chest]	1	Fished from Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, and Ashenvale
[Sturdy Locked Chest]	70	Fished from Stranglethorn Vale, Dustwallow Marsh, and Swamp of Sorrows
[Ironbound Locked Chest]	175	Fished from The Hinterlands, Azshara, Tanaris, and Feralas
[Reinforced Locked Chest]	250	Fished from Azshara
[Thaurissan Family Jewels]	275	Looted from Emperor Dagran Thaurissan in Blackrock Depths

Fixed chests[]

Chests
Item	Skill	Location
Large Iron Bound Chest	25	Blackfathom Deeps, Gnomeregan, Razorfen Downs, Razorfen Kraul, Scarlet Monastery, Shadowfang Keep, and The Stockade
Large Mithril Bound Chest	175	Blackrock Spire, Dire Maul, Stratholme, and Uldaman
Large Mithril Bound Chest	250	Western Plaguelands, Blackrock Spire, Dire Maul, and Stratholme
Bound Fel Iron Chest	300	Hellfire Ramparts, Mana-Tombs, The Blood Furnace, The Slave Pens, and The Underbog
Bound Adamantite Chest	325	Auchenai Crypts, Hellfire Ramparts, Mana-Tombs, Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth, The Blood Furnace, The Botanica, The Mechanar, The Shattered Halls, The Slave Pens, The Steamvault and The Underbog.
Bound Adamantite Chest	350	Hellfire Ramparts, The Blood Furnace, The Botanica, The Mechanar, The Shattered Halls, The Slave Pens, The Steamvault and The Underbog.

Footlockers
Item	Skill	Location
Alliance Strongbox	1	The Barrens
Buccaneer's Strongbox	1	The Barrens
Venture Co. Strongbox	1	The Barrens
Practice Lockbox	1	Redridge Mountains
Ambermill Strongbox	1	Silverpine Forest (for [20] Tools of the Trade)
Burial Chest	1	Ghostlands (for [18] Greed)
Primitive Chest	20	Ghostlands (for [18] The Sad Truth)
The Jewel of the Southsea	25	The Barrens (for [18] Plundering the Plunderers)
Lucius's Lockbox	25	Redridge Mountains (for [20] Alther's Mill)
Alliance Strongbox	70	Alterac Mountains
Battered Footlocker	70	Stonetalon Mountains, Hillsbrad Foothills, Wetlands, and Badlands
Duskwood Chest	70	Westfall (for [24] Klaven's Tower)
Gallywix's Lockbox	70	Westfall (for [21] Mission: Possible But Not Probable)
Waterlogged Footlocker	70	Ashenvale and Redridge Mountains
Benedict's Chest	100	Durotar (for [7] The Admiral's Orders)
Battered Footlocker	110	Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, Stonetalon Mountains
Battered Footlocker	150	Badlands
Waterlogged Footlocker	150	Desolace
Cozzle's Footlocker	160	Stranglethorn Vale (for [37] Goblin Sponsorship)
Dented Footlocker	175	Badlands, Nagrand, and Tanaris
Dented Footlocker	175	Badlands, Nagrand, and Tanaris
Mossy Footlocker	175	Swamp of Sorrows, Desolace, and Sunken Temple
Dented Footlocker	200	Searing Gorge
Dented Footlocker	225	Tanaris
Mossy Footlocker	225	Azshara
Scarlet Footlocker	250	Eastern Plaguelands
Wicker Chest	300	Zangarmarsh
Dented Footlocker	325	Nagrand
Scarlet Onslaught Trunk	385	Icecrown (for [25-30 Daily] Intelligence Gathering)

Doors[]

Doors
Door	Skill	Location	Note
Ironclad Cove Gate	1	The Deadmines	Can also be opened with [Defias Gunpowder]
Gnomeregan Workshop Door	150	Gnomeregan	Can also be opened with [Workshop Key]
Scarlet Monastery Armory Door	175	Scarlet Monastery	Can also be opened with [The Scarlet Key]
Scarlet Monastery Cathedral Door	175	Scarlet Monastery	Can also be opened with [The Scarlet Key]
Searing Gorge Gate	225	Loch Modan/Searing Gorge	Can also be opened with [Key to Searing Gorge]
East Garrison Door	280	Blackrock Depths	Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key]
Prison Cells	280	Blackrock Depths	Can also be opened with [Prison Cell Key]
Shadowforge Gate	250	Blackrock Depths	Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key]
Shadowforge Lock	250	Blackrock Depths	Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key]
Scholomance Door	280	Scholomance	Can also be opened with [Skeleton Key]
Scarlet Bastion Door	300	Stratholme	Can also be opened with [The Scarlet Key]
Stratholme Gate	300	Stratholme	Can also be opened with [Key to the City]
Crescent Door	300	Dire Maul	Can also be opened with [Crescent Key]
Shattered Halls Door	350	Shattered Halls	Can also be opened with [Shattered Halls Key]
Shadow Labyrinth Gate	350	Shadow Labyrinth	Can also be opened with [Shadow Labyrinth Key]
Arcatraz Door	350	The Arcatraz	Can also be opened with [Key to the Arcatraz]
Karazhan Gatehouse Portcullis	350	Karazhan	Can also be opened with [The Master's Key]
Karazhan Side Entrance	350	Karazhan	Can also be opened with [The Master's Key]
Violet Hold Door	365	Dalaran	Can also be opened with [The Violet Hold Key]

Training[]

Rogue trainers offered additional gossip:

Where can I go to improve my lockpicking?

The Scarlet Crusade of Tyr's Hand in the Eastern Plaguelands have many lockboxes that will challenge your skill.

Etiquette[]

If you can't unlock an item yourself, you will need to rely upon the lockpicking services of a rogue, blacksmith, or engineer to do it for you. When approaching a lockpicker, keep the following in mind:

You should only open a trade window with a lockpicker if they are publicly advertising their lockpicking services or you have already asked them in a whisper. It is not acceptable to simply open a trade with someone in the hope they will open your item, as they may be busy with auctions or mail, and your trade request could disrupt them.
Even if a lockpicker offers their services for "free," they may still expect a tip. There are no set guidelines for what constitutes an acceptable tip. Tips may vary depending on the type of lockbox, the number of boxes needing to be unlocked, the value of the items found inside the lockbox, cost of materials (for blacksmiths and engineers), the wealth of the tipper, or other factors. Most lockpickers would probably consider a tip between 1 and 5 per box acceptable—but again, it varies.
If you have only one or two lockboxes, put them in the "Will not be traded" slot of the trade window. Otherwise, you can trade your boxes to the lockpicker in bulk and they can unlock them from their inventory, then trade them back to you.
Try asking friends and guildmates before asking strangers. You are more likely to get it opened and more likely to get it done for free. You can mail the boxes to them, and they can send them back unlocked (if you do, list the boxes in the message, so they have a note to respond to, and as a reminder of who sent what).

Patch changes[]

Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Lockpicking now skills up as you level, you no longer need to practice. Hovering over your [Pick Lock] icon will show the current level of box you can open.
Patch 1.1.0 (2004-11-07): No longer auto-ranks. It must be used to improve.

External links[]

Wowhead