Modulation of cell adhesion molecule expression plays a key role in melanoma metastasis. In particular, the expression of the cell adhesion molecule L1 has been associated with the metastatic phenotype in a murine model of malignant melanoma. However, no such association between L1 expression and metastasis has been investigated in a clinical study. Therefore, L1 expression was determined immunohistochemically in 100 cases of malignant melanoma and correlated with metastasis in a 10-year retrospective study. Furthermore, nine distant metastases and five sentinel lymph node metastases were analysed for their L1 expression. Additionally, the expression of α2,3 sialic acid residues, which are recognised by the siglec domain of L1, was determined by Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) lectin histochemistry. The log-rank test between Kaplan–Meier curves revealed a positive association between L1 expression and metastasis (P<0.0001) and multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for tumour thickness, ulceration and mitotic rate confirmed the prognostic power of L1 in malignant melanoma. As α2,3 sialic acid residues were absent in melanoma cells, homotypic adhesion between melanoma cells via their siglec domain can be excluded, suggesting a different adhesive function of L1 during melanoma metastasis. The functional role of L1 was further stressed by the fact that its expression was preserved in metastatic lesions.