diff --git a/doc/neps/conf.py b/doc/neps/conf.py
index f01ee8a51739..68805e50faf0 100644
--- a/doc/neps/conf.py
+++ b/doc/neps/conf.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
 # NumPy Enhancement Proposals documentation build configuration file, created by
 # sphinx-quickstart on Mon Dec 11 12:45:09 2017.
diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index d08f29e59467..a7a885c343d5 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import os
 import re
 import sys
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_arrayprint.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_arrayprint.py
index 09cc79f72f07..25826d8eda3c 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_arrayprint.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_arrayprint.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import sys
 import gc
 from hypothesis import given
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarinherit.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarinherit.py
index cc53eb24432f..98d7f7cdef7f 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarinherit.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarinherit.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """ Test printing of scalar types.
 
 """
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarprint.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarprint.py
index 2f1c3bc5e309..ee21d4aa5e0d 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarprint.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_scalarprint.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """ Test printing of scalar types.
 
 """
diff --git a/numpy/doc/constants.py b/numpy/doc/constants.py
index 128493d90ed6..4db5c639047f 100644
--- a/numpy/doc/constants.py
+++ b/numpy/doc/constants.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """
 =========
 Constants
diff --git a/numpy/ma/bench.py b/numpy/ma/bench.py
index e29d54365c33..56865683d9cb 100644
--- a/numpy/ma/bench.py
+++ b/numpy/ma/bench.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 import timeit
 import numpy
diff --git a/tools/changelog.py b/tools/changelog.py
index 2bd7cde08d83..444d96882216 100755
--- a/tools/changelog.py
+++ b/tools/changelog.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-# -*- encoding:utf-8 -*-
 """
 Script to generate contributor and pull request lists
 
diff --git a/tools/download-wheels.py b/tools/download-wheels.py
index 28b3fc7ad6a9..dd066d9adba9 100644
--- a/tools/download-wheels.py
+++ b/tools/download-wheels.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-# -*- encoding:utf-8 -*-
 """
 Script to download NumPy wheels from the Anaconda staging area.