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Enter a Louis Vuitton date code to check its consistency. A conclusive reading gives a probable production period and, where documented, a likely country of manufacture.
The guide below explains the main date code formats, with a selection of factory codes, worked examples and answers to common questions.
info A consistent code does not prove the item’s authenticity.
Reading guide & reference arrow_downwardDate Code Reader
On Louis Vuitton bags and small leather goods, date codes indicate a production period and, when a factory identifier is present, a manufacturing location. Several items made at the same place during the same period can share a code.
Date codes appeared in the early 1980s. Their format changed over time, so the reading depends on the production period.
Common formats combine a factory identifier with a set of digits. The identifier usually consists of two letters. Some older pieces use A0, A1 or A2.
The table on this page lists a selection of codes from professional guides. Some, including SD, FL and LA, are associated with more than one country across references and production periods.
In the four-digit formats used since the 1990s, positions 1 and 3 form one two-digit number. Positions 2 and 4 form another.
From approximately 1990 through 2006, positions 1 and 3 give the production month (01–12). Positions 2 and 4 give the last two digits of the year.
From 2007, positions 1 and 3 give the production week number. Positions 2 and 4 give the last two digits of the year.
In CA4121, positions 1 and 3 give 42, while positions 2 and 4 give 11. The probable reading is Spain, week 42 of 2011.
The location varies by model and period. On bags, the code may be on a leather tab sewn into a pocket or along an interior seam. On wallets and small leather goods, it may be stamped directly on the lining.
Some codes sit under a flap or inside a zipped pocket. On Alcantara linings, the stamp can fade with use and become difficult to read.
Since 2021, embedded microchips have replaced visible date codes on many Louis Vuitton bags.
The checker returns “Consistent code” or “Inconclusive result”. A conclusive reading shows the probable month or week and year. A likely country is shown when a documented match is available.
The checker does not consult a database of authentic or counterfeit items. A factory identifier missing from its references gives an inconclusive result. So do some historical variants and codes after 2021. This result does not mean the item is counterfeit.
To have an item assessed, see our Louis Vuitton assessment service.
The table below lists a non-exhaustive selection of factory codes and the countries associated with them in professional guides.
The countries shown are probable attributions. This table is not official Louis Vuitton documentation.
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| A0 | France |
| A1 | France |
| A2 | France |
| AA | France |
| AH | France |
| AN | France |
| AR | France |
| AS | France |
| BA | France |
| BC | Country not determined |
| BJ | France |
| BO | Italy |
| BU | France |
| CA | Spain |
| CE | Italy |
| CO | France |
| CT | France |
| CX | France |
| DI | Switzerland |
| DR | France |
| DU | France |
| ET | France |
| FA | Switzerland |
| FC | USA |
| FH | Italy or USA |
| FL | France or USA |
| FO | Italy |
| GI | Spain |
| LA | France or USA |
| LB | Spain |
| LM | Spain or France |
| LO | Spain |
| LP | Germany |
| LW | Spain or France |
| MA | Italy |
| MB | France |
| MI | France |
| MS | Italy |
| NO | France |
| NZ | Italy |
| OB | Italy |
| OL | Germany |
| OS | USA |
| PL | Italy |
| RA | France |
| RC | Italy |
| RE | Italy |
| RI | France |
| SA | France or Italy |
| SD | USA or France |
| SF | France |
| SL | France |
| SN | France |
| SP | France |
| SR | France |
| TD | Italy |
| TH | France |
| TJ | France |
| TN | France |
| TR | France |
| TS | France |
| TX | USA |
| UB | Spain |
| VI | France |
| VX | France |
Codes in italics are associated with more than one country.
Date code formats changed over time. The periods below help identify the reading that applies to each format.
No standardized visible date codePieces made before the early 1980s may have no date code of the familiar type. Dating them relies on the model, materials and construction details.
3 or 4 digits only, no lettersEarly codes contain three or four digits. They are generally read as year followed by month: the first two digits give the year, and the remaining one or two give the month. The structure is YYM or YYMM.
For these numeric-only codes, the checker covers 1982–1985. Other early variants may give an inconclusive result.
3 or 4 date digits, with a factory identifier before or after themCodes combining a date and a factory identifier are documented from the mid-1980s. The digits give the year first, then the month. The identifier can appear before or after the digits.
Public guides place some variants into the early 1990s. The checker covers the year/month reading here for 1984–1989.
Positions 1 and 3 = month (01–12); positions 2 and 4 = yearIn FL0023, positions 1 and 3 give 02 for February. Positions 2 and 4 give 03 for 2003. FL is associated with France or the USA.
Positions 1 and 3 = week; positions 2 and 4 = yearFrom 2007, the usual reading gives a week and a year. In CA4121, positions 1 and 3 give 42, and positions 2 and 4 give 11. The code reads as Spain, week 42 of 2011.
The checker covers the week/year reading for 2007–2021. Later codes remain outside its coverage.
No visible date code on many bagsSince 2021, many Louis Vuitton bags have carried embedded microchips with no visible date code.
The transition varies by product category. Traditional date codes are still reported after 2021, including on some small leather goods.
These examples show the week/year reading and an older format in which the year comes before the month.
Spain, week 42 of 2011 — week/year format
CA is associated with Spain. In 4121, positions 1 and 3 give 42 (week 42), and positions 2 and 4 give 11 (2011).
Next steps
Compare this period with the model’s production dates and the item’s “Made in” stamp.
USA or France, week 25 of 2011
References associate SD with the USA or France. In 2151, positions 1 and 3 give 25 (week 25), while positions 2 and 4 give 11 (2011).
The SD code alone cannot distinguish between the two countries.
Next steps
Examine the item’s “Made in” stamp and compare it with any available documentation.
Legacy suffix format — approximately November 1987
In 8711SD, the digits follow the year/month reading: 87 for 1987 and 11 for November. The factory identifier SD appears after the date.
Next steps
Compare the code with the model’s construction and the markings used during that period.
A date code gives a production period and, when a factory identifier is present, an indication of origin. Several items can share the same code.
For the common two-letter, four-digit format, combine positions 1 and 3: they give the month from approximately 1990 through 2006, and the week from 2007. Positions 2 and 4 give the year. Formats from the 1980s are generally read as year followed by month.
Both formats commonly use two letters and four digits. From approximately 1990 through 2006, positions 1 and 3 give the month (01–12). From 2007, they give the week. In both formats, positions 2 and 4 give the year.
The letters refer to a factory identifier. Professional guides associate these identifiers with one or more countries. The table above lists a selection.
On bags, the code may be on a leather tab, inside a pocket or along an interior seam. On wallets and small leather goods, it may be stamped directly on the lining. The location varies by model and period.
No. Older pieces may predate the introduction of date codes. Many bags made since 2021 use an embedded microchip and no longer have a visible code.
Around 2021, Louis Vuitton replaced visible date codes with embedded microchips on many bags. The change did not reach every product category at the same time. Later date codes are reported, including on some small leather goods.
Yes, a counterfeit item can carry a consistent code. An expert assessment also examines the materials, markings and construction of the item.
No. Traditional date codes can be shared by several items made at the same place during the same period. This checker does not consult any internal Louis Vuitton database.
Expert assessment at Very Véritable
Very Véritable provides expert assessment of luxury items for resale professionals.
The checker uses known formats and publicly documented factory code references.
Read about our approach, see how an assessment works, and learn what our certificate of conformity or non-conformity covers.
Our assessment examines the item’s materials and construction. It provides a written conclusion and a certificate of conformity or non-conformity that can be verified online.