Can I transfer my license plate from my old car to a new car I'll be purchasing?

Yes, unless it is an older non-reflective plate. However, if your older non-reflective plate is a vanity plate, you can keep it.

you sure can.I have recently done this too. it is cheaper and it is easier to remember the numbers if you have them memorized on your old plate. just go to your town hall and transfer the plates to your new car.

You still would need to register the new car with the DMV so that the plate number pulls up the correct vehicle if your tag is looked up by police. If you don’t, and a cop pulls you over for speeding, taillight out, whatever, runs your tag which is registered to a blue 97 Taurus, and sees that it’s attached to a white 05 Civic, you’ll probably get to explain how you didn’t steal it.

Whenever I have questions regarding registration/licences, I check DMV.org. They are an easy-to-navigate unofficial (non-government) resource that usually has all the answers without any of the BS.

So, I’d say do some research there first. That way, you’ll know what you’re in for before walking into the real DMV.

I checked that and didn’t get a clear answer about CA. It does seem, as the answers above indicate, that it should be fairly easy to do when I go to the DMV to register the new vehicle.

I was able to do it very simply (in WV) when I registered the new car.

Not in CA unless it’s a Special Issue Tag, or an older 1960ish tag.
Basically it depends on the State and CA doesn’t do it for regular plates.