All Oracle errors
ORA-01843sql

Not a valid month

ORA-01843: not a valid month

Why it happens

A date string contains a month that is not valid for the session NLS_DATE_FORMAT — for example '2026-13-31' or a text month the format does not expect.

How to fix it

Use TO_DATE('14-FEB-2026','DD-MON-YYYY') with an explicit format, fix the data month, or change NLS_DATE_FORMAT for the session.

A note on ORA-01843

This entry is part of a hand-curated set of ORA-, FRM-, REP- and TNS- codes that actually turn up in production Oracle estates — SQL*Plus, APEX, 19c/21c, ODP.NET apps, Oracle Forms 6i/12c and Reports included. The message text above is the canonical wording; the cause and fix are written in plain language so a developer or DBA can act without digging through pages of Oracle reference docs first.

Codes outside this list of 44 are far less common. If you hit one, the official Oracle error reference and your instance's alert or listener log remain the authoritative source.

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