U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 24F-2
Annual Notice of Securities Sold
Pursuant to Rule 24f-2

1	Name and Address of Issuer:
	Principal Life Insurance Company Separate Account B The Principal Financial Group Des Moines, IA 50392-2080
2	The name of each series or class of securities for which this Form is filed (If the Form is being filed for all series and classes of securities of the issues, check the box but do not list series or classes):

X

3	Investment Company Act File Number:			811-02091
	Securities Act File Number:		02-37988, 02-78001, 33-74232, 33-44670, 33-44565,
			333-63401, 333-40254, 333-116220, 333-128079, 333-171650
4a	Last day of fiscal year for which this notice if filed:
	12/31/2011
4b	Check this box if this Form is being filed late (i.e., more than 90 calendar days after the end of the
	issuer's fiscal year). (See Instruction A.2)
	N/A
	Note: If the Form is being filed late, interest must be paid on the registration fee due.
4c	Check box if this is the last time the issuer will be filing this Form.
	N/A
5	Calculation of registration fee:
	(i)	Aggregate sale price of securities sold during the				02-37988	$                     0
		fiscal year in reliance on rule 24f-2:				02-78001	3,524
						33-44565	2,781,361
						33-44670	9,611,029
						333-63401	4,697,107
						33-74232	339,064,780
						333-40254	44,542,990
						333-116220	1,264,541,932
						333-171650	1,163,170
						333-128079	3,819,215
							1,670,225,108
	(ii)	Aggregate price of shares redeemed or		02-37988	$                206,133
		repurchased during the fiscal year:		02-78001		190,026
				33-44565		2,573,359
				33-44670		15,396,437
				333-63401		11,260,112
				33-74232		458,099,273
				333-40254		168,690,446
				333-116220		635,910,272
				333-171650		4,346
				333-128079		5,677,721
						1,298,008,125
	(iii)	Aggregate price of shares redeemed or
		repurchased during any prior fiscal year ending no
		earlier than October 11, 1995 that were not
		previously used to reduce registration fees
		payable to the Commission:				0
	(iv)	Total available redemption credits
		[Add items 5(ii) and 5(iii)]:					1,298,008,125
	(v)	Net Sales - If Item 5(i) is greater than Item 5(iv)
		[subtract Item 5(iv) from Item 5(i)]:					372,216,983

(vi)	Redemption credits available for use in future years
	-- if Item 5(i) is less than Item 5(iv) [subtract Item
	5(iv) from Item 5(i)]"	N/A
(vii)	Multiplier for determining registration fee (See
	Instruction c.9):		0.0001146
(viii)	Registration fee due [Multiply Item 5(v) by Item
	5(vii)] (enter "0" if no fee is due):		42,656.07
6 Prepaid Shares
If the response to Item 5(i) was determined by deducting an amount of securities that were
registered under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to rule 24e-2 as in effect before [effective
date of rescisision of rule 24e-2], then report the amount of securities (number of shares or
other units) deducted here: ____________. If there is a number of shares or other units that
were registered pursuant to rule 24e-2 remaining unsold at the end of the fiscal year for which
this form is filed that are available for use by the issuer in future fiscal years, then state the
number here: ____________.
7 Interest due-if this Form is being filed more than 90 days after the end of the issuer's fiscal year
(see Instruction D):
		+	0
8 Total of the amount of the registration fee due plus any interest due [line 5(viii) plus line 7]:
			42,656.07
9 Date the registration fee and any interest payment was sent to the Commission's
lockbox depository:
02/28/12
Method of Delivery:
X	Wire Transfer
N/A	Mail or other means
THE 24F-2 FEE IS PAID BY 33-44565.
Signature
This report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the issuer and in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:
Principal Life Insurance Company Separate Account B
By	/s/ Joyce N. Hoffman
	Joyce N. Hoffman
	Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary
Date:	2nd day of March, 2012