If you've ever turned a Louis Vuitton bag inside out looking for a small stamped tab of letters and numbers, you were looking for the date code. It's one of the first things people check when buying or selling pre-owned Louis Vuitton, and it's also one of the most misunderstood.
What is a Louis Vuitton date code?
A date code is a short stamp that tells you where and roughly when an item was made. It is not a serial number, so it isn't unique to your bag. Many bags made in the same factory in the same week share the same code.
Where to find it
Date codes are usually heat stamped on a small leather or canvas tab inside an interior pocket, along an inside seam, or under a flap. On some styles they're stamped directly on the lining, and on smaller pieces like wallets they're often tucked into a card slot. They can be hard to spot, so a flashlight helps.
How the format changed over time
Bags made before the early 1980s generally have no date code at all. Through the 1980s the codes were three or four numbers, and later in the decade two letters were added to show the factory.
From 1990 through 2006 the format is two letters followed by four numbers. The letters are the factory code. The first and third numbers are the month and the second and fourth numbers are the year. For example, a code ending in 1023 would mean February 2003.
From 2007 until early 2021 the format stayed two letters and four numbers, but the first and third numbers became the week of the year instead of the month. The second and fourth numbers are still the year.
In 2021 Louis Vuitton began replacing date codes with embedded microchips, so newer bags often have no visible date code. That's normal and doesn't mean anything is wrong.
Why a date code isn't proof of authenticity
Counterfeiters copy date codes all the time, and some copy them very well. A bag with a perfect-looking code can still be fake, and an authentic bag can have a faded or hard-to-read code. A date code is one clue, but a real authentication looks at the whole item: the canvas, stitching, hardware, heat stamps, construction, and how all of those details line up with the style and era the code claims.
Want a professional opinion?
If you're buying or selling and want peace of mind, you can submit your item for online authentication for a flat $15. Just upload clear photos, including the date code, and you'll receive your result and a digital Certificate of Authenticity by email.