Louis Vuitton Date Codes

Louis Vuitton Date Codes

Louis Vuitton handbags have date codes stamped either on interior tags or directly on the interior linings. The date codes are used to identify the manufacturing location and date for a Louis Vuitton handbag. All Louis Vuitton handbags and accessories will have date codes with the exception of early handbags (early 1980s and older).

Most date codes are a combination of letters and numbers. The letters indicated the country in which the item was made while the numbers indicate the month/year of the production date. The format of the date codes are as follows:

Prior to early 1980s. No date codes.

Early 1980s. Three or four numbers with the first two numbers representing the year and last number(s) representing the month. E.x. "836" would indicate a manufacturing date of June, 1983.

Early to late 1980s. Three or four numbers followed by two letters with the first two numbers representing the year, the next number(s) representing the month and the last two letters representing the country (see right sidebar for factory location codes). E.x. "874VX" would indicate a manufacturing date of May, 1987 and factory location in France. Late in the 1980s, the letters representing the factory location came before the three or four numbers representing the manufacturing date.

1990 to 2006. Two letters followed by four numbers with the first two letters representing the factory location, the first and third numbers representing the month and the second and forth numbers representing the year. For example, “VI1025” would indicate a factory location in France and a manufacturing date of December, 2005.

2007 and newer. Two letters followed by four numbers with the first two letters representing the factory location, the first and third numbers representing the week of the year, and the second and forth numbers representing the year. For example, “SD2057” would indicate a factory location of USA and a manufacturing date of the 25 week (or May) of 2007

Date codes do NOT guarantee that an item is authentic since most counterfit items will include date codes as well. A valid and properly stamped date code is just one many steps that are checked to guarantee the authenticity of a Louis Vuitton handbag. 

Louis Vuitton Factory Location Codes

Louis Vuitton handbags are manufactured in several locations around the world. The below letter or letter/number combinations correspond with the country that the item was manufactured in. 

France: A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SL, SN, SP, SR, TH, TR, VI, VX

Germany: LP

Italy: BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD

Spain: CA, LO, LB, LM, LW

Switzerland: DI, FA

USA: FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL

The "made in" country located inside an authentic Louis Vuitton handbag should correspond with the above location codes.