diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
index fa831af4fb4..78982c35872 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/uchriter.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ UCharCharacterIterator::nextPostInc() {
 }
 
 UBool
-UCharCharacterIterator::hasNext() {
+UCharCharacterIterator::hasNext() const {
     return (UBool)(pos < end ? TRUE : FALSE);
 }
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
index 6ce09fca48d..8133a4cabf6 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public:
      * at or after the current position in the iteration range.
      * @stable ICU 2.0
      */
-    virtual UBool        hasNext() = 0;
+    virtual UBool        hasNext() const = 0;
     
 protected:
     /** Default constructor to be overridden in the implementing class. @stable ICU 2.0*/
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
index 4c4caa3e575..786c66823b2 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/uchriter.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public:
    * at or after the current position in the iteration range.
    * @stable ICU 2.0
    */
-  virtual UBool        hasNext();
+  virtual UBool        hasNext() const;
 
   /**
    * Advances to the previous code unit in the iteration range (toward