Enter a Louis Vuitton date code to get an instant reading: format identification, likely country of manufacture, and estimated production period.
This page also includes a step-by-step reading guide, a factory codes reference table, annotated examples across different eras, and answers to common questions — everything needed to interpret a code correctly and understand what it can and cannot tell you.
info A valid date code confirms format coherence. It does not authenticate the item.
Reading guide & reference arrow_downwardDate Code Reader
A Louis Vuitton date code is a production stamp indicating when and where an item was manufactured. It is not a unique serial number — multiple pieces carry the same code if they were produced in the same atelier during the same period.
Date codes were introduced progressively from the early 1980s and have evolved through several distinct formats. Knowing which format applies to a given piece is the first step to reading the code correctly.
The first two characters of a standard Louis Vuitton date code are letters identifying the production atelier. Each combination corresponds to a factory, most of which are located in France or Spain — with a small number of codes associated with the United States, Germany, or Italy.
The factory codes reference table on this page lists a selection of publicly documented two-letter combinations and their associated countries. Some codes, such as SD, FL, and LA, appear against more than one country, reflecting production that moved or overlapped between sites over time.
The letter pair is a production origin marker. It does not indicate quality, rarity, or value.
The four digits that follow the letters are not read left to right as a single number. Louis Vuitton uses an interlaced system: the 1st and 3rd digits together form one two-digit number, and the 2nd and 4th digits together form another.
In the month/year format used from approximately 1990 through 2006: digits 1 and 3 give the production month (01–12), and digits 2 and 4 give the last two digits of the production year.
In the week/year format used from 2007 through approximately early 2021: digits 1 and 3 give the ISO production week, and digits 2 and 4 give the last two digits of the year.
Worked example — CA4121: digit 1 = 4, digit 2 = 1, digit 3 = 2, digit 4 = 1. Combining positions 1 and 3 gives 42 (week 42). Combining positions 2 and 4 gives 11 (year 2011). Result: Spain, week 42 of 2011.
Placement varies by product type and production era. On handbags, the stamp is most often found on a small leather tab sewn into an interior pocket or along an interior seam. On small leather goods and wallets, it may appear directly on the lining or on a heat-stamped label.
On some models, the code sits inside a zippered pocket or under a flap and requires opening to read it. It is not always immediately visible on first inspection. For vintage bags lined with Alcantara, the date code can be especially difficult to find, since it is often blind-stamped and may be faded or hard to read.
If you cannot locate a visible date code, that is not automatically suspicious. Louis Vuitton transitioned toward microchip authentication around 2021, and many recent authentic items no longer carry a stamped code in the traditional format.
This tool identifies the format of the code entered, maps the factory code to a known production location, and estimates a production period based on the digit sequence.
It does not cross-reference any code against a database of authentic or counterfeit items. A result that matches a known format does not confirm the item is genuine — counterfeit pieces routinely carry format-correct codes. The reading produced here is a useful data point, not a verdict.
Need a full Louis Vuitton authentication rather than a code reading? See our Louis Vuitton authentication service.
The two-letter prefix found in most Louis Vuitton date codes identifies the production atelier. The table below lists a non-exhaustive selection of publicly documented codes and their associated country.
This reference is based on collector knowledge and authentication practice. It is not official brand documentation. Some codes span more than one country, reflecting factories that relocated or shared production across sites.
Codes in italics span multiple production sites.
Louis Vuitton date code formats changed significantly across production eras. Understanding which format applies to a given piece is essential — applying the wrong reading logic will produce an incorrect date.
No standardized visible date codeItems made before the early 1980s were not systematically stamped with the date codes recognized today. Specialists work with other indicators instead: lining materials, stamp fonts, hardware styles, model histories, and era-specific construction details.
If a seller claims a very early piece but presents a standard two-letter alphanumeric code, that inconsistency is worth examining closely.
3 or 4 digits only, no lettersSome early Louis Vuitton pieces carry a short numeric-only code. These are generally interpreted as simplified year/month references: the first two digits indicate the year, and the last one or two digits indicate the month. A three-digit code therefore reads as YYM, and a four-digit code as YYMM.
These formats are less commonly encountered and more prone to misreading. They require comparison with model-specific and era-specific construction details to interpret with any confidence.
3 or 4 digits plus 2 letters, with the order varying by eraDuring the late 1980s, Louis Vuitton introduced formats that combined the date portion with a two-letter factory code. The numbers still read as year and month, while the letters indicate the production atelier. Depending on the piece and the period, the letters may appear before or after the digits.
Public guides are not perfectly uniform on the exact transition timing, and some extend these mixed formats into the very early 1990s. Pieces from this period should always be cross-checked against other era markers.
XX + interlaced digits — positions 1&3 = month (01–12), positions 2&4 = yearThis is the most widely recognized Louis Vuitton format. The letters identify the production atelier; the interlaced digits give a month (01–12) and a two-digit year. Example: FL0023 → France or USA, positions 1&3 = 02 (February), positions 2&4 = 03 (2003) → February 2003.
The month/year reading only applies reliably to pieces produced before roughly 2007. Applying this logic to a post-2006 item will produce an incorrect result.
XX + interlaced digits — positions 1&3 = ISO week, positions 2&4 = yearFrom 2007, Louis Vuitton shifted to encoding an ISO week number rather than a month. The visual structure of the code is identical to the previous era, but the digit reading changes entirely. Example: CA4121 → Spain, positions 1&3 = 42 (week 42), positions 2&4 = 11 (2011) → Spain, week 42 of 2011.
The visual similarity between the two formats is a frequent source of misreading. If the production date matters — for example, to confirm a model’s market availability at a given time — identifying the correct format era is essential before drawing any conclusion.
No visible stamped date code on most itemsLouis Vuitton progressively replaced visible stamped date codes with embedded microchips. Many recent authentic items do not carry a code that can be decoded in the traditional sense.
A missing code on a recent item is not by itself a red flag. However, a piece with other suspicious characteristics where the seller attributes the absence of a code to recent production still warrants a full expert review.
These worked examples show how the interlaced digit system applies across different codes and eras. Use them as a model for reading any code you encounter.
Spain, week 42 of 2011 — week/year format
Letters CA → Spain. Digits 4121 read interlaced: positions 1&3 give 42 (week 42), positions 2&4 give 11 (2011). This is a typical post-2006 week/year reading.
Week 42 of 2011 corresponds to mid-October 2011.
Next steps
Confirm that the model existed in the October 2011 production window, and that the made-in stamp, materials, and hardware are consistent with Spanish production from that period.
USA or France, week 25 of 2011 — SD ambiguity
Letters SD → USA or France (this code spans more than one production site). Digits 2151 read interlaced: positions 1&3 give 25 (week 25), positions 2&4 give 11 (2011).
The SD ambiguity means the made-in stamp on the item itself is particularly important here — the code alone cannot resolve the country of origin.
Next steps
Look at the made-in text stamped near the date code. Cross-reference with the item’s broader construction and any documentation. A week-25-2011 production date is plausible for a number of Louis Vuitton models.
Legacy suffix format — approximately November 1987
Some older Louis Vuitton pieces use a reversed format where the letter pair follows rather than precedes the digits. In this legacy reading, the digits are interpreted as YYMM: 87 → year 1987, 11 → month November. SD at the end identifies the production atelier.
This format predates the standardized modern code structure and is encountered far less frequently.
Next steps
Pieces from this era require particularly careful review. The stamp style, lining material, hardware, and model-specific construction clues should all be examined alongside the code reading.
A Louis Vuitton date code is a production stamp used to indicate when and where an item was manufactured. It is not a unique serial number — the same code can appear on multiple pieces produced in the same atelier during the same period.
Standard codes combine two letters (the factory code) with four digits. The digits use an interlaced system: the 1st and 3rd digits form one number, and the 2nd and 4th form another. Before approximately 2007, those two numbers represent month and year. From 2007 onward, they represent ISO week and year.
Both formats share the same two-letter-plus-four-digit structure, which makes them easy to confuse. The difference lies in how the digits are interpreted: in the older format (up to approximately 2006), the interlaced digits give a month (01–12) and a year. In the newer format (from 2007), they give an ISO week and a year. Applying the wrong format to a code produces an incorrect date.
The two-letter prefix identifies the production atelier. Most codes correspond to factories in France or Spain, with a smaller number associated with the United States, Germany, or Italy. The factory codes reference table on this page lists the known combinations. The letters have no bearing on quality or value.
Placement varies by product type and era. On handbags, look for a small leather tab inside an interior pocket or along an interior seam. On wallets and small leather goods, the code may be stamped directly on the lining. Some models require opening a zippered pocket or flap to find it.
No. Items made before the early 1980s may predate standardized date codes, and many pieces produced from approximately 2021 onward use embedded microchips rather than visible stamped codes. The absence of a visible code is not automatically suspicious.
Louis Vuitton transitioned progressively toward microchip authentication around 2021. Many recent authentic items no longer carry a traditional visible stamped date code. However, the transition was gradual and not uniform across all product lines.
Yes. Counterfeit items regularly carry format-correct date codes. A code that matches a known Louis Vuitton pattern does not confirm authenticity. Authentication requires examining the item itself — materials, hardware, stitching, stamp quality, proportions, and overall construction consistency.
No. Louis Vuitton date codes are production indicators shared across items made at the same time and place. They are not unique identifiers assigned to individual pieces, and no official Louis Vuitton registry links a specific item to a specific code.
Built by Authentication Specialists
Very Véritable is a specialist luxury authentication service. The tools and guides on this site are built from direct hands-on experience reviewing items for private clients and resellers across the European and North American markets.
The interpretation logic behind this checker reflects the same reading methodology applied in professional review workflows. Every format rule, factory code mapping, and era distinction has been validated against pieces reviewed in practice.
If you want to understand the standards we hold ourselves to, you can read about our approach, see how a review works in practice, and learn what our authentication certificate covers.
A date code reading is a starting point. If you need a complete authenticity opinion on the item itself — covering materials, hardware, stitching, brand stamps, proportions, and internal construction — our specialists can review the piece and issue a certificate.