diff --git a/doc/api/axis_api.rst b/doc/api/axis_api.rst
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ Ticks, tick labels and Offset text
    Axis.get_gridlines
    Axis.grid
 
-   Axis.iter_ticks
    Axis.set_tick_params
 
    Axis.axis_date
@@ -365,7 +364,6 @@ YAxis
    YAxis.get_units
    YAxis.get_view_interval
    YAxis.grid
-   YAxis.iter_ticks
    YAxis.limit_range_for_scale
    YAxis.pan
    YAxis.reset_ticks
@@ -432,7 +430,6 @@ XAxis
    XAxis.get_units
    XAxis.get_view_interval
    XAxis.grid
-   XAxis.iter_ticks
    XAxis.limit_range_for_scale
    XAxis.pan
    XAxis.reset_ticks

diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/2018-02-05-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2018-02-05-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Changes to the internal tick handling API
+`````````````````````````````````````````
+
+``Axis.iter_ticks`` (which only served as a helper to the private
+``Axis._update_ticks``) is deprecated.
+
+The signature of the (private) ``Axis._update_ticks`` has been changed to not
+take the renderer as argument anymore (that argument is unused).
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1016,6 +1016,7 @@ def _set_artist_props(self, a):
             return
         a.set_figure(self.figure)
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.1")
     def iter_ticks(self):
         """
         Yield ``(Tick, location, label)`` tuples for major and minor ticks.
@@ -1035,7 +1036,7 @@ def get_ticklabel_extents(self, renderer):
         of the axes.
         """
 
-        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks(renderer)
+        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks()
         ticklabelBoxes, ticklabelBoxes2 = self._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw,
                                                                 renderer)
 
@@ -1058,20 +1059,38 @@ def get_smart_bounds(self):
         """get whether the axis has smart bounds"""
         return self._smart_bounds
 
-    def _update_ticks(self, renderer):
+    def _update_ticks(self):
         """
-        Update ticks (position and labels) using the current data
-        interval of the axes. Returns a list of ticks that will be
-        drawn.
+        Update ticks (position and labels) using the current data interval of
+        the axes.  Return the list of ticks that will be drawn.
         """
 
-        interval = self.get_view_interval()
-        tick_tups = list(self.iter_ticks())  # iter_ticks calls the locator
-        if self._smart_bounds and tick_tups:
+        major_locs = self.major.locator()
+        major_ticks = self.get_major_ticks(len(major_locs))
+        self.major.formatter.set_locs(major_locs)
+        major_labels = self.major.formatter.format_ticks(major_locs)
+        for tick, loc, label in zip(major_ticks, major_locs, major_labels):
+            tick.update_position(loc)
+            tick.set_label1(label)
+            tick.set_label2(label)
+        minor_locs = self.minor.locator()
+        minor_ticks = self.get_minor_ticks(len(minor_locs))
+        self.minor.formatter.set_locs(minor_locs)
+        minor_labels = self.minor.formatter.format_ticks(minor_locs)
+        for tick, loc, label in zip(minor_ticks, minor_locs, minor_labels):
+            tick.update_position(loc)
+            tick.set_label1(label)
+            tick.set_label2(label)
+        ticks = [*major_ticks, *minor_ticks]
+
+        view_low, view_high = self.get_view_interval()
+        if view_low > view_high:
+            view_low, view_high = view_high, view_low
+
+        if self._smart_bounds and ticks:
             # handle inverted limits
-            view_low, view_high = sorted(interval)
             data_low, data_high = sorted(self.get_data_interval())
-            locs = np.sort([ti[1] for ti in tick_tups])
+            locs = np.sort([tick.get_loc() for tick in ticks])
             if data_low <= view_low:
                 # data extends beyond view, take view as limit
                 ilow = view_low
@@ -1096,33 +1115,21 @@ def _update_ticks(self, renderer):
                 else:
                     # No ticks (why not?), take last tick
                     ihigh = locs[-1]
-            tick_tups = [ti for ti in tick_tups if ilow <= ti[1] <= ihigh]
+            ticks = [tick for tick in ticks if ilow <= tick.get_loc() <= ihigh]
 
-        if interval[1] <= interval[0]:
-            interval = interval[1], interval[0]
-        inter = self.get_transform().transform(interval)
+        interval_t = self.get_transform().transform([view_low, view_high])
 
         ticks_to_draw = []
-        for tick, loc, label in tick_tups:
-            # draw each tick if it is in interval.   Note the transform
-            # to pixel space to take care of log transforms etc.
-            # interval_contains has a floating point tolerance.
-            if tick is None:
-                continue
-            # NB: always update labels and position to avoid issues like #9397
-            tick.update_position(loc)
-            tick.set_label1(label)
-            tick.set_label2(label)
+        for tick in ticks:
             try:
-                loct = self.get_transform().transform(loc)
+                loc_t = self.get_transform().transform(tick.get_loc())
             except AssertionError:
                 # transforms.transform doesn't allow masked values but
                 # some scales might make them, so we need this try/except.
-                loct = None
-                continue
-            if not mtransforms._interval_contains_close(inter, loct):
-                continue
-            ticks_to_draw.append(tick)
+                pass
+            else:
+                if mtransforms._interval_contains_close(interval_t, loc_t):
+                    ticks_to_draw.append(tick)
 
         return ticks_to_draw
 
@@ -1141,7 +1148,7 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer):
         if not self.get_visible():
             return
 
-        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks(renderer)
+        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks()
 
         self._update_label_position(renderer)
 
@@ -1182,7 +1189,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer, *args, **kwargs):
             return
         renderer.open_group(__name__)
 
-        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks(renderer)
+        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks()
         ticklabelBoxes, ticklabelBoxes2 = self._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw,
                                                                 renderer)
 
@@ -1948,7 +1955,7 @@ def _get_tick_boxes_siblings(self, renderer):
         grp = self.figure._align_xlabel_grp
         # if we want to align labels from other axes:
         for nn, axx in enumerate(grp.get_siblings(self.axes)):
-            ticks_to_draw = axx.xaxis._update_ticks(renderer)
+            ticks_to_draw = axx.xaxis._update_ticks()
             tlb, tlb2 = axx.xaxis._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
             bboxes.extend(tlb)
             bboxes2.extend(tlb2)
@@ -2262,7 +2269,7 @@ def _get_tick_boxes_siblings(self, renderer):
         grp = self.figure._align_ylabel_grp
         # if we want to align labels from other axes:
         for axx in grp.get_siblings(self.axes):
-            ticks_to_draw = axx.yaxis._update_ticks(renderer)
+            ticks_to_draw = axx.yaxis._update_ticks()
             tlb, tlb2 = axx.yaxis._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
             bboxes.extend(tlb)
             bboxes2.extend(tlb2)

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_axes/minorticks_on_rcParams_both.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_axes/minorticks_on_rcParams_both.png
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -266,15 +266,15 @@ def test_inverted_cla():
     plt.close(fig)
 
 
-@image_comparison(baseline_images=["minorticks_on_rcParams_both"],
-                  extensions=['png'])
-def test_minorticks_on_rcParams_both():
-    fig = plt.figure()
-    matplotlib.rcParams['xtick.minor.visible'] = True
-    matplotlib.rcParams['ytick.minor.visible'] = True
-
-    plt.plot([0, 1], [0, 1])
-    plt.axis([0, 1, 0, 1])
+@check_figures_equal(extensions=["png"])
+def test_minorticks_on_rcParams_both(fig_test, fig_ref):
+    with matplotlib.rc_context({"xtick.minor.visible": True,
+                                "ytick.minor.visible": True}):
+        ax_test = fig_test.subplots()
+        ax_test.plot([0, 1], [0, 1])
+    ax_ref = fig_ref.subplots()
+    ax_ref.plot([0, 1], [0, 1])
+    ax_ref.minorticks_on()
 
 
 @image_comparison(baseline_images=["autoscale_tiny_range"], remove_text=True)

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
@@ -346,17 +346,15 @@ def test_offset_value(self, left, right, offset):
                                     UserWarning)
             ax.set_xlim(left, right)
         assert len(w) == (1 if left == right else 0)
-        # Update ticks.
-        next(ax.get_xaxis().iter_ticks())
+        ax.get_xaxis()._update_ticks()
         assert formatter.offset == offset
 
         with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
             warnings.filterwarnings('always', 'Attempting to set identical',
                                     UserWarning)
             ax.set_xlim(right, left)
         assert len(w) == (1 if left == right else 0)
-        # Update ticks.
-        next(ax.get_xaxis().iter_ticks())
+        ax.get_xaxis()._update_ticks()
         assert formatter.offset == offset
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('use_offset', use_offset_data)

diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axis3d.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axis3d.py
@@ -223,22 +223,11 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
         self.label._transform = self.axes.transData
         renderer.open_group('axis3d')
 
-        # code from XAxis
-        majorTicks = self.get_major_ticks()
-        majorLocs = self.major.locator()
+        ticks = self._update_ticks()
 
         info = self._axinfo
         index = info['i']
 
-        # filter locations here so that no extra grid lines are drawn
-        locmin, locmax = self.get_view_interval()
-        if locmin > locmax:
-            locmin, locmax = locmax, locmin
-
-        # Rudimentary clipping
-        majorLocs = [loc for loc in majorLocs if locmin <= loc <= locmax]
-        majorLabels = self.major.formatter.format_ticks(majorLocs)
-
         mins, maxs, centers, deltas, tc, highs = self._get_coord_info(renderer)
 
         # Determine grid lines
@@ -259,9 +248,9 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
 
         # Grid points where the planes meet
         xyz0 = []
-        for val in majorLocs:
+        for tick in ticks:
             coord = minmax.copy()
-            coord[index] = val
+            coord[index] = tick.get_loc()
             xyz0.append(coord)
 
         # Draw labels
@@ -373,14 +362,14 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
             xyz1 = copy.deepcopy(xyz0)
             newindex = (index + 1) % 3
             newval = get_flip_min_max(xyz1[0], newindex, mins, maxs)
-            for i in range(len(majorLocs)):
+            for i in range(len(ticks)):
                 xyz1[i][newindex] = newval
 
             # Grid points at end of the other plane
             xyz2 = copy.deepcopy(xyz0)
             newindex = (index + 2) % 3
             newval = get_flip_min_max(xyz2[0], newindex, mins, maxs)
-            for i in range(len(majorLocs)):
+            for i in range(len(ticks)):
                 xyz2[i][newindex] = newval
 
             lines = list(zip(xyz1, xyz0, xyz2))
@@ -401,13 +390,11 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
         else:
             ticksign = -1
 
-        for tick, loc, label in zip(majorTicks, majorLocs, majorLabels):
-            if tick is None:
-                continue
+        for tick in ticks:
 
             # Get tick line positions
             pos = copy.copy(edgep1)
-            pos[index] = loc
+            pos[index] = tick.get_loc()
             pos[tickdir] = (
                 edgep1[tickdir]
                 + info['tick']['outward_factor'] * ticksign * tickdelta)
@@ -434,8 +421,6 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
             tick_update_position(tick, (x1, x2), (y1, y2), (lx, ly))
             tick.tick1line.set_linewidth(info['tick']['linewidth'])
             tick.tick1line.set_color(info['tick']['color'])
-            tick.set_label1(label)
-            tick.set_label2(label)
             tick.draw(renderer)
 
         renderer.close_group('axis3d')