diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/array/array_union_test.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/array/array_union_test.cc
index ec93329d0839..50ce8bb9d1e5 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/array/array_union_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/array/array_union_test.cc
@@ -211,6 +211,53 @@ TEST(TestSparseUnionArray, Validate) {
   ASSERT_RAISES(Invalid, arr->ValidateFull());
 }
 
+TEST(TestSparseUnionArray, ValidateMissingTypeIds) {
+  auto type = sparse_union({field("a", int32())});
+  auto children = ArrayDataVector{ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[4, 5]")->data()};
+
+  auto data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/2, {nullptr, nullptr}, children);
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty union array but type ids are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->Validate());
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty union array but type ids are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+
+  // An empty array does not need a type ids buffer
+  data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/0, {nullptr, nullptr}, children);
+  ASSERT_OK(MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+}
+
+TEST(TestDenseUnionArray, ValidateMissingBuffers) {
+  auto type = dense_union({field("a", int32())});
+  auto children = ArrayDataVector{ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[7]")->data()};
+  auto type_ids = ArrayFromJSON(int8(), "[0]")->data()->buffers[1];
+  auto offsets = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[0]")->data()->buffers[1];
+
+  auto data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/1, {nullptr, nullptr, offsets}, children);
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty union array but type ids are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->Validate());
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty union array but type ids are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+
+  data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/1, {nullptr, type_ids, nullptr}, children);
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty dense union array but offsets are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->Validate());
+  ASSERT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE(Invalid,
+                             "Invalid: Non-empty dense union array but offsets are null",
+                             MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+
+  data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/1, {nullptr, type_ids, offsets}, children);
+  ASSERT_OK(MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+
+  // An empty array does not need type ids or offsets buffers
+  data = ArrayData::Make(type, /*length=*/0, {nullptr, nullptr, nullptr}, children);
+  ASSERT_OK(MakeArray(data)->ValidateFull());
+}
+
 TEST(TestSparseUnionArray, Comparison) {
   auto ints1 = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]");
   auto ints2 = ArrayFromJSON(int32(), "[1, 2, -3, 4, -5, 6]");
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/array/validate.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/array/validate.cc
index 16bc9187af46..13e74d8c3c89 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/array/validate.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/array/validate.cc
@@ -334,6 +334,15 @@ struct ValidateArrayImpl {
   }
 
   Status Visit(const UnionType& type) {
+    if (data.length > 0) {
+      if (!IsBufferValid(1)) {
+        return Status::Invalid("Non-empty union array but type ids are null");
+      }
+      if (type.mode() == UnionMode::DENSE && !IsBufferValid(2)) {
+        return Status::Invalid("Non-empty dense union array but offsets are null");
+      }
+    }
+
     for (int i = 0; i < type.num_fields(); ++i) {
       const auto& field_data = *data.child_data[i];