Complete Guide to Louis Vuitton Date Codes
Where to find them, how to read them & how they've changed over time
Created in partnership with Lusso & Lux
Unlike most other luxury brands, Louis Vuitton does not mark its bags with unique serial numbers; instead, Louis Vuitton bags feature date codes, which tell you when and where the bag was manufactured.
Where to Find a Louis Vuitton Date Code
Date codes can either be printed or heat-stamped and are often found inside the main compartment or along the top edge of the bag, however they can be "hidden” in other spots as well. In a Louis Vuitton Neverfull, the date code is tucked under a pocket. In a Louis Vuitton Speedy, the date code is on a small Vachetta leather tab.
How to Read a Louis Vuitton Date Code: Bags Made 2007-2021
Most pre-loved Louis Vuitton bags still in circulation will fall into this 14-year window. For bags from this era, the two front letters note where the bag was made. The first and third numbers tell us the week of the year it was made, and the second and fourth numbers tell us the year it was made. So SA5112 means it was made in France or Italy on the 51st week of 2012.
Guide to Country Codes on a Louis Vuitton Date Code
TIP: Confirm the Country Code Matches the “made in” Stamp
Once you’ve located the date code, check that the country code at the front of the date code matches the country listed on the “made in” mark. If these two don’t match, alarm bells should ring.
How to Read a Louis Vuitton Date Code: Bags Made 1990-2006
The two front letters note where the bag was made. The first and third numbers tell us the month it was made, and the second and fourth numbers tell us the year it was made. So FL0081 means it was made in France or the USA in August 2001.
How to Read a Louis Vuitton Date Code: Bags Made mid-late 1980s
In the mid to late 1980s, Louis Vuitton date codes consisted of three or four digits preceded or followed by two letters. (In other words, the order of the date of manufacture and location of manufacture could vary — the location did not always appear first.) Regardless of whether the letters came. before or after the numbers, the first two numbers represented the year and the next digit(s) represented the month. Manufacture codes were the same as in the chart above. So MI8906 means the bag was made in France in June 1989.
How to Read a Louis Vuitton Date Code: Bags Made early 1980s
Louis Vuitton first began including date codes in the early 1980s. These date codes did not include a manufacture location. They consisted of three or four digits in which the first two represented the year and the next digit(s) represented the month. So 829 would mean it was made in September 1982.
Louis Vuitton Bags Made Before 1982 Do Not Have Date Codes
Prior to 1982, Louis Vuitton did not have formal date codes. However, Louis Vuitton would occasionally used an embossed symbol to mark the authenticity of popular pieces. It is not uncommon to see an FC or SA stamp on Speedy and Keepall tabs from bags made in the very early ‘80s and before.
Louis Vuitton Bags Made After 2021 Do Not Have Date Codes
Beginning in March 2021, Louis Vuitton stopped including date codes in its bags, opting instead for an RFID microchip.
While there are a wide variety of Louis Vuitton date code formats on authentic Louis Vuitton bags, it’s helpful to check that the specific format of the date code on the bag being evaluated matches the format that Louis Vuitton was using during the time period that the bag was manufactured. While many counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags include date codes in their bags, more often than not they do not correlate to the guidelines above, and usually look something like this (i.e. they are a hot mess)
Click here for 9 other ways to spot an authentic (or fake!) Louis Vuitton Monogram bag :)
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