diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/schriter.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/schriter.cpp
index ad665ba3851..897711d29c4 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/schriter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/schriter.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ StringCharacterIterator::setText(const UnicodeString& newText) {
 }
 
 void
-StringCharacterIterator::getText(UnicodeString& result) {
+StringCharacterIterator::getText(UnicodeString& result) const {
     result = text;
 }
 U_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
index f3ee3e29801..4ffadcdd53e 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ void UCharCharacterIterator::setText(const UChar* newText,
 }
 
 void
-UCharCharacterIterator::getText(UnicodeString& result) {
+UCharCharacterIterator::getText(UnicodeString& result) const {
     result = UnicodeString(text, textLength);
 }
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
index 0a9110d3751..56e9257be9a 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ public:
      * @param result Receives a copy of the text under iteration.  
      * @stable ICU 2.0
      */
-    virtual void            getText(UnicodeString&  result) = 0;
+    virtual void            getText(UnicodeString&  result) const = 0;
 
 protected:
     /**
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/schriter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/schriter.h
index 8f995bd8390..4693d007c31 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/schriter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/schriter.h
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ public:
    * @param result Receives a copy of the text under iteration.  
    * @stable ICU 2.0
    */
-  virtual void            getText(UnicodeString& result);
+  virtual void            getText(UnicodeString& result) const;
 
   /**
    * Return a class ID for this object (not really public) 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
index 4f3f8495f3a..29d28706ee1 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ public:
    * @param result Receives a copy of the text under iteration.  
    * @stable ICU 2.0
    */
-  virtual void            getText(UnicodeString& result);
+  virtual void            getText(UnicodeString& result) const;
 
   /**
    * Return a class ID for this class (not really public)