How to check a Louis Vuitton bag: date code (before 2021) vs microchip (2021 onwards)

Older Louis Vuitton bags usually carry a small stamped date code, while bags made from around 2021 are reported to use a hidden chip instead. This guide explains how to read a date code, what to expect on a newer bag, and why neither proves a bag is real on its own.

On a bag made roughly between 2007 and early 2021, look for a stamp of two letters and four numbers, often on a small leather tab inside a pocket or along a seam; resellers widely report that the letters show the workshop and the numbers hide the week and year. Bags made from around March 2021 are reported to have an embedded chip and no visible code, and that chip cannot be checked with a phone app. Louis Vuitton does not publish an authentication guide, so treat the code or chip only as a first filter and get a professional authenticator to inspect any pre-owned bag before you pay.

• 1. Work out roughly when the bag was made: Start with the seller's invoice or purchase story. If they say it was bought new after mid-2021, you should not expect a visible date code. If it was bought before 2020, a code is normally expected. Bags from 2021 itself sit in a grey zone, as some reports suggest both systems overlapped for a while.
• 2. Find the date code on an older bag: The code is usually heat-stamped on a narrow leather tab sewn into an inside seam or pocket, or stamped directly onto the lining near the top of a pocket. On a Speedy or Neverfull, check inside the zip pocket area; on an Alma, look inside the flat pocket. It is small and often faded, so use a torch and tilt the bag.
• 3. Read a 2007 to 2021 code: Codes from this period are widely reported to be two letters and four digits. The letters stand for the workshop, and the digits are read in pairs: the first and third give the week, the second and fourth give the year. So a code like AR 2129 would mean week 22 of 2019. If the week works out above 53, or the year does not fit the model's release, treat it as a warning sign.
• 4. Read a 1990 to 2006 code: For this era, the same two letters and four digits are said to work with month instead of week: the first and third digits give the month and the second and fourth give the year. A month above 12 is a red flag. Bags from the 1980s used shorter number-only or mixed formats, which a vintage specialist should check.
• 5. Match the code with the Made in stamp: Next to the Louis Vuitton logo on the inside, the bag should say where it was made, such as France, Spain, Italy or USA. The two letters in the date code are reported to correspond to a country. If the two seem to disagree, ask an authenticator to look closer; resellers note that some genuine bags show odd combinations, so a mismatch is a question, not a verdict.
• 6. Know what to expect on a newer bag: From around March 2021, resellers and authenticators report that Louis Vuitton replaced stamped codes with a chip sewn into the lining or a seam. You will usually see nothing, and may at most feel a small flat rectangle. A newer model that shows a freshly stamped date code is a reason to slow down and ask more questions.
• 7. Do not trust a phone scan: A general NFC app on your phone may show that some chip is present, but there is no public Louis Vuitton app that confirms authenticity by scanning it. Counterfeiters can sew in cheap chips too. If a seller shows you a scan result as proof, treat that as marketing, not verification.
• 8. Look beyond the code: Copies often carry perfectly formatted codes. Compare the stitching, the alignment of the monogram pattern across seams, the hardware engravings, the edge paint and the smell and feel of the leather with photos from Louis Vuitton's official product pages. Any one oddity is not proof of a fake, but several together should make you walk away.
• 9. Get a professional opinion before paying: For a pre-owned bag, use an independent authentication service with a clear report and a refund policy, and pay only after it passes. A Louis Vuitton boutique can assess a bag for repair, but it is not an authentication service, so do not count on staff giving you a yes or no on a bag bought elsewhere.