Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
ERNST BARRIE W
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
UNITED FIRE GROUP INC [UFCS] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
VP/Chief Investment Officer
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
118 SECOND AVENUE SE, P.O. BOX 73909		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/15/2013
(Street)

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52407-3909		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 02/15/2013   A(1)   1,934 A $ 23.96 (2) 6,592 (3) D  
Common Stock 02/15/2013 02/19/2013(4) P(5) V(6) 14 (7) A $ 23.96 (8) 5,451 (9) I By 401(k) Account for Self
Common Stock               400 I By Issuer's Employee Stock Ownership Plan for self
Common Stock               1,027 I By spouse

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 23.96 (10) 02/15/2013   A   6,785     (11) 02/15/2023 Common Stock 6,785 $ 0 6,785 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 20.54               (12) 02/18/2021 Common Stock 6,599   6,599 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 22.42               (13) 05/18/2020 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 33.43               (14) 05/21/2018 Common Stock 7,114   7,114 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 35.23               (15) 02/16/2017 Common Stock 5,000   5,000 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 39.13               (15) 02/17/2016 Common Stock 2,500   2,500 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 32.39               (15) 02/18/2015 Common Stock 2,500   2,500 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 21.66               (15) 02/20/2014 Common Stock 2,000   2,000 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
ERNST BARRIE W
118 SECOND AVENUE SE
P.O. BOX 73909
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52407-3909		       VP/Chief Investment Officer  

Signatures

 /s/ Barrie W. Ernst by Dianne M. Lyons, Attorney-in-Fact   02/19/2013
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) This transaction represents a grant of restricted stock to the Reporting Person under the Issuer's 2008 Stock Plan.
(2) The price per share is the closing price of the Issuer's common stock on the date of the reported transaction.
(3) The total number of securities beneficially held directly by the Reporting Person following the reported transaction includes: 1,944 shares of restricted stock issued under the Issuer's 2008 Stock Plan which vest, subject to certain conditions, on 05/21/2013; 2,714 shares of restricted stock issued under the Issuer's 2008 Stock Plan which vest, subject to certain conditions, on 02/18/2016; and 1,934 shares of restricted stock issued under the Issuer's 2008 Stock Plan which vest, subject to certain conditions, on 02/15/2018.
(4) The deemed execution date of this transaction is the statement date as provided by the Issuer's 401(k)Plan trustee/administrator.
(5) Shares acquired through payroll deduction and participation in the Issuer's 401(k) Plan.
(6) This transaction qualifies as a non-discretionary transaction from a tax-qualified plan and is voluntarily reported on Form 4.
(7) Represents the approximate number of shares acquired by the trustee/administrator of the Issuer's 401(k)Plan for the reporting person's benefit, based on a statement of the plan trustee/administrator.
(8) The price per share is based on a statement provided by the Issuer's 401(k) Plan trustee/administrator.
(9) The number of securities shown as being held in or acquired by the Issuer's 401(k) account for the Reporting Person's benefit are the approximate number of shares of common stock for which the Reporting Person has the right to direct the vote under the Issuer's 401(k) plan. Such shares are not directly allocated to 401(k) Plan participants, but are instead held in a unitized fund consisting primarily of common stock, together with a small percentage of short-term investments. 401(k) Plan participants acquire units of this fund.
(10) The exercise price of these stock options represents the closing price of the Issuer's common stock on the grant date.
(11) 6,785 options that become exercisable in five equal installments of 1,357 options each on 02/15/2014, 02/15/2015, 02/15/2016, 02/15/2017 and 02/15/2018.
(12) 2,720 options currently exercisable; 2,740 options become exercisable in two equal installments of 1,370 options each on 02/18/2014 and 02/18/2015; and 1,369 options exercisable 02/18/2016.
(13) 1,200 options currently exercisable and 1,800 options become exercisable in three equal installments of 600 options each on 05/19/2013, 05/19/2014 and 05/19/2015.
(14) 5,691 options currently exercisable and 1,423 options become exercisable on 05/21/2013.
(15) All options currently exercisable.

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