diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.cc
index e0b1f66f6798f..07163252cd1ad 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.cc
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void RowGroupSerializer::Close() {
 // FileSerializer
 
 std::unique_ptr<ParquetFileWriter::Contents> FileSerializer::Open(
-    std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink, std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
+    std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink, const std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
     const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties) {
   std::unique_ptr<ParquetFileWriter::Contents> result(
       new FileSerializer(sink, schema, properties));
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ void FileSerializer::WriteMetaData() {
 }
 
 FileSerializer::FileSerializer(std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink,
-    std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
+    const std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
     const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties)
     : sink_(sink),
       allocator_(properties->allocator()),
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.h b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.h
index c49a0769f4d35..29b326ff7c20e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.h
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer-internal.h
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ class RowGroupSerializer : public RowGroupWriter::Contents {
 class FileSerializer : public ParquetFileWriter::Contents {
  public:
   static std::unique_ptr<ParquetFileWriter::Contents> Open(
-      std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink, std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
+      std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink,
+      const std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
       const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties = default_writer_properties());
 
   void Close() override;
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ class FileSerializer : public ParquetFileWriter::Contents {
 
  private:
   explicit FileSerializer(std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink,
-      std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
+      const std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
       const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties);
 
   std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink_;
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.cc
index 84bbe8d9eb524..269b1cb123aef 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ ParquetFileWriter::~ParquetFileWriter() {
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<ParquetFileWriter> ParquetFileWriter::Open(
-    std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink, std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
+    std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink, const std::shared_ptr<GroupNode>& schema,
     const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties) {
   auto contents = FileSerializer::Open(sink, schema, properties);
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.h b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.h
index e213fbef55175..223c4bb6d6672 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.h
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/file/writer.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class ParquetFileWriter {
   ~ParquetFileWriter();
 
   static std::unique_ptr<ParquetFileWriter> Open(std::shared_ptr<OutputStream> sink,
-      std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
+      const std::shared_ptr<schema::GroupNode>& schema,
       const std::shared_ptr<WriterProperties>& properties = default_writer_properties());
 
   void Open(std::unique_ptr<Contents> contents);