Louis Vuitton Date Codes: Decode the Year and Place of Manufacture

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Louis Vuitton Date Code Checker

Enter the code found inside your Louis Vuitton item to get an indication of its likely country and production period.

How does it work?
Look for a code made of letters and numbers, for example:
CA4121 · FL0023 · 8711SD

Checking the Manufacturing Factory (Country) and Manufacturing Date

Since 1980, Louis Vuitton has engraved a manufacturing number on its products (many bags from the earliest production runs were directly printed, and this marking may fade over time).

Depending on the product, the number may be engraved at a different stage of the manufacturing process, which can sometimes make it difficult to find. The location of the serial number is not fixed and varies depending on the model. It also varies according to the period. Please note that no Louis Vuitton product bears an engraved "model reference".

Here, as an example, we present a few photos of manufacturing numbers and explain how to read them. At Louis Vuitton, this number is sometimes referred to as a "serial number", but it differs from the serial number usually used to identify a unique piece from a limited production run.

List of Manufacturing Factories (Countries) and Engraved Letters

France	A1, A2, A3, AA, AAS, AC, AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, CT, DU, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, MS, NO, RA, RI, SA, SL, SN, SP, SR, TH, TJ, VI, VX
Italy	BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, TD
Spain	CA, GI, LB, LM, LO
United States	FC, FH, LA, OS, SD
Switzerland	D1, FA
Germany	LP
Repair	DK - This engraving indicates that the item has received an official repair service carried out by Louis Vuitton.

※ The list of letters above has been rearranged in alphabetical order.
※ Please note that new letter combinations may appear in the future and may not necessarily be included in this list.

How to Read the Date Code

Since 1980	Number-only format 835 → May 1983
Since 1985	Format with 2 letters and 3 to 4 digits AC8501, CA801, 851SL → January 1985
Since 1989	The 2 letters are now systematically placed at the beginning of the code SP8903 → March 1989
1990 - 2006	Change in the way the digits are read TH0968 → June 1998 TH○●○●: digits 2 + 4 = year; digits 1 + 3 = month
Since 2007	The month is replaced by the week number BO2037 → 2007, week 23 digits 2 + 4 = year; digits 1 + 3 = week

Date Code Explanations with Photos

Here are a few photos of serial numbers engraved inside bags. Using the rules mentioned above, we will show you the "factory" indicated by a letter, as well as the "year of manufacture" contained in the digits.

Please take a look at them. As shown in the photos below, the location and typography of the engravings also vary.

	Keepall 45 Epi Boston Bag M42974 V.I.0950 → France, May 1990
	Keepall 50 Monogram Boston Bag M41426 SP0954 → France, May 1994
	Alma Handbag Epi M52144 AR1926 → France, December 1996
	Speedy Handbag 30 Damier Azur N41370 SP2087 → France, 2007, week 28 (July)
	Bequia Monogram Shoulder Bag M95529 AR2097 → France, 2007, week 29 (July)
	Monogram Travel Document Bag M40226 BA2078 → France, 2008, week 27 (July)
	Wilshire PM Monogram Handbag M45643 MI4100 → France, week 40, 2010 (October)

※ Many bags from the earliest production runs were directly printed, which means that the marking may have disappeared over time due to wear or corrosion.
※ Please note: no authentic product bears an engraved "model reference".
※ Not all authentic products necessarily have a manufacturing number.

Also read: How to tell a genuine Louis Vuitton bag from a counterfeit