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
4	a	Last day of fiscal year for which this notice if filed:
		December 31, 2012
4	b	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.
4	c	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	28,891
			33-44565	1,576,451
			33-44670	9,792,307
			333-63401	4,077,190
			33-74232	264,629,884
			333-40254	15,250,078
			333-116220	1,230,110,552
			333-171650	16,992,803
			333-128079	3,588,708
				1,546,046,864
(ii)	Aggregate price of shares redeemed or	02-37988	$                       191,128
	repurchased during the fiscal year:	02-78001	99,191
		33-44565	2,866,669
		33-44670	10,656,391
		333-63401	9,426,061
		33-74232	371,515,289
		333-40254	148,046,184
		333-116220	677,702,213
		333-171650	793,027
		333-128079	6,138,811
			1,227,434,964
(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)]:			1,227,434,964
(v)	Net Sales - If Item 5(i) is greater than Item 5(iv)
	[subtract Item 5(iv) from Item 5(i)]:			$         318,611,900

(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):		0.0001364
(viii)	Registration fee due [Multiply Item 5(v) by Item
	5(vii)] (enter "0" if no fee is due):		$    43,458.66
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]:
			$    43,458.66
9 Date the registration fee and any interest payment was sent to the Commission's
lockbox depository:
03/26/2013
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:	27th day of March, 2013