Louis Vuitton Microchips Explained: A Collector’s Guide
If you’ve recently purchased a Louis Vuitton bag and can’t find a date code, don’t panic! Since March 2021, Louis Vuitton has gradually replaced its traditional date codes with embedded RFID microchips across most handbags and small leather goods.
The transition has understandably caused confusion—particularly among buyers shopping on the pre-loved market. Over the past few years, I’ve received countless emails from readers worried that their Louis Vuitton bag must be fake simply because it didn’t have a visible date code. In reality, that’s often exactly what you should expect on newer pieces.
While the old date code system allowed collectors to estimate when and where an item was produced, the new RFID technology works very differently. The chip is hidden inside the bag, cannot be seen with the naked eye, and contains significantly more information than a date code ever could.
In this guide, I’ll explain why Louis Vuitton made the switch, what information the microchips store, how they affect authentication, and what they mean for anyone buying or selling Louis Vuitton today.
Louis Vuitton Microchips at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
| When did Louis Vuitton introduce microchips? | March 2021 |
| What did microchips replace? | Date codes |
| Can owners scan them? | No |
| Do LV microchips contain GPS? | No |
| Can you feel the chip? | Usually no |
| Are LV date codes now discontinued? | Yes |
Why Did Louis Vuitton Replace Date Codes?
For decades, Louis Vuitton relied on date codes to identify when and where an item was manufactured (read more in my complete guide to Louis Vuitton Date Codes). Contrary to popular belief, these were never serial numbers.
Instead, a date code was simply a combination of letters and numbers indicating the factory and production date. Multiple bags manufactured in the same location around the same time could share exactly the same code.
That system worked well for many years—but counterfeiters eventually caught up.
As replica quality improved, copying date codes became remarkably easy. Since date codes weren’t unique to individual bags, counterfeit manufacturers could simply reproduce legitimate-looking combinations without much difficulty.
Replacing them with RFID technology was therefore a logical next step in Louis Vuitton’s ongoing fight against counterfeiting. The brand wasn’t alone in adopting this approach either. Several luxury houses had already begun using embedded digital identification systems years earlier.
Where Is the Louis Vuitton Microchip Located?
Unlike the old date codes, Louis Vuitton’s RFID microchips aren’t designed to be found.
The chips themselves are incredibly small (only a fraction of a millimeter thick) and are embedded directly into the bag during the manufacturing process. As a result, even if you spend hours searching, chances are you won’t be able to locate one by touch alone.
What’s more, there is no universal location for the chip. Depending on the style and how the bag is constructed, it may be hidden inside the leather, sewn into the lining, or embedded within another structural component of the bag. Furthermore, Louis Vuitton has never disclosed the exact placement, which is likely a deliberate security measure to make counterfeiting more difficult.
Can You Scan a Louis Vuitton Microchip Yourself?
At this time, the only people able to read the chips are Louis Vuitton’s sales assistants. They have a special app installed on their work iPads that enables them to scan the chips. Unfortunately, the app is not available for the general public to download. Furthermore, Louis Vuitton employees will only scan the microchip if you brought the item in for return, or repair. So, you can’t really walk into the store and ask your SA to scan the microchip of the pre-loved handbag you’ve recently purchased (unless you’re in a really good relationship with your SA, of course). We can only hope that Louis Vuitton will make the app available to the public someday!
What Information Does a Louis Vuitton Microchip Store?
You will be surprised to learn how much information new Louis Vuitton microchips contain. Where date codes only give us information about where and when the specific item in question was made, microchips in addition to that also contain information on item’s style (model number and its description), when it was sold and where (boutique, or online).
In case if the item was purchased directly from LV boutique, it would say which boutique it was. I don’t know how about you, but this reminds me of the typical information you would find on the receipt. Okay, perhaps, you won’t find a detailed description of the item on the receipt, but you are very likely to find everything else from this list.
Editor’s note: If your Louis Vuitton item was produced before March 2021, it will most likely feature a traditional date code rather than an RFID chip. Be sure to read my companion guide, Louis Vuitton Date Codes Explained (1982–2021), where I explain exactly how to locate and decode every Louis Vuitton date code used over the years.
Can Louis Vuitton Track Your Location through their microchips?
It’s no secret that smartphones can track our location. But how about microchips? It has already been confirmed by Louis Vuitton that their microchips don’t contain GPS trackers in them. In short: the chips embedded inside Louis Vuitton products are passive RFID tags, meaning they have no internal power source and cannot transmit your location. So rest assured that your handbag isn’t going to spy on you!
I, however, totally understand where these concerns are coming from. Many people are afraid to carry a piece of technology they know nothing about. Plus, as we all are living in a technology-driven world, it’s already pretty difficult to keep our personal information private.
Can Louis Vuitton Microchips Be Counterfeited?
The short answer to this question is yes. Many counterfeiters have already begun embedding RFID chips into fake Louis Vuitton bags. However, there’s one main difference between the microchips programmed by counterfeiters and those programmed by LV and that’s the technology.
Louis Vuitton places all the unique digital ID’s on a private blockchain owned by LVMH. If you know how blockchain works, you know that the unique digital ID’s can’t be modified or copied without ruining the entire chain. Furthermore, until Louis Vuitton make the chip scanning app available to the public, we will never know what information is shown when the item is scanned. Be very weary if someone other than a Louis Vuitton employee claims they can scan the item!
Louis Vuitton Date Codes vs. RFID Microchips: How Do They Compare?
| Feature | Date Codes | RFID Microchips |
| Used until | March 2021 | Present |
| Visible to owners | ✓ | ✗ |
| Easy to read | ✓ | ✗ |
| Can owners scan it? | Not required | No |
| Stores purchase information | ✗ | ✓ |
| More resistant to counterfeiting | ✗ | ✓ |
What does the new microchip system mean for the resale market?
The introduction of RFID technology initially caused confusion among collectors and resale buyers.
For years, shoppers used the presence of a date code as one of the first checkpoints when assessing a Louis Vuitton bag. So when newer bags began appearing without visible codes, many buyers mistakenly assumed they were fake simply because they couldn’t find the familiar stamp inside.
Today, that misunderstanding has largely faded. Reputable resale platforms and professional authentication services are also very much aware of the fact that Louis Vuitton has replaced date codes with RFID chips. And, of course, no experienced authenticator has ever relied on a date code alone to determine whether a bag is genuine. Just like the new microchips, date codes have always been only one piece of the Louis Vuitton authenticity puzzle.
Pre-loved market buyers, however, can no longer independently verify the basic production information that date codes once provided—and that’s a real downside. Date codes used to give us a quick overview of where and when the item was made. Then we could align this info with a particular model, hardware finish, or collection. It was much easier to see if a piece you’re buying is a real deal.
With microchips we can’t really do that. Quickly frankly, now we have to rely on the seller more than ever. Which is also why I personally only recommend to buy from trusted sellers, or from reputable resale platforms. It also doesn’t hurt to get a second (professional authenticators) opinion afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Louis Vuitton began replacing date codes with RFID microchips in March 2021. During the transition period, some items still featured date codes, but most newly manufactured leather goods now rely on RFID technology instead.
Most handbags and small leather goods produced since March 2021 do. However, some pieces manufactured during the transition period may still carry traditional date codes.
No. Louis Vuitton’s RFID chips use proprietary technology that isn’t accessible through public smartphone apps.
Yes. Some counterfeit bags now contain RFID chips. That’s why a chip alone should never be considered proof of authenticity.
No. Louis Vuitton’s RFID chips cannot track your location and do not function as GPS devices.
Feel free to leave any of your Louis Vuitton microchip questions below!
xoxo’s, Masha
🤨 how very interesting. I don’t believe it will fight fakes, on the contrary it encourage more fakes to appear in the market, there is nothing visual and tangible now to resale as original, most pointedly online selling. Let’s be real here, there are a huge market for fake handbags and these buyers who purposely seek out 1-1 looked a like style, would never bring their broken good to the boutique for fixing. But I pity people like myself who actually buy a resale, who seek out certain discontinued models/patterns of past, who are bow ‘blind’ to recognize real from fake. Speculatively, i wonder if this move is actually to encourage counterfeit? Because only popular and very coveted big brands are copied. Indirectly it is unpaid marketing. Hmmm
Counterfeiters have long been putting microchips in their bags. So, I don’t think this move will really help LV to fight fakes. Actually, it might even encourage them.