UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

______________________________________________________________

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310

Jacksonville, Florida 32216

(904) 652-1601

NOTICE OF ANNUAL

MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD DECEMBER 19, 2018

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Duos Technologies Group, Inc., a Florida corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “Company”, “Duos”, “we”, “us” or “our”), which will be held on December 19, 2018, at 10:00 A.M. EST at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216, for the following purposes:

The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the Proxy Statement that is attached and made a part of this Notice. Only stockholders of record of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) and Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series B Preferred”) at the close of business on November 1, 2018 (the “Record Date”), will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting in person. Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you own. Only record or beneficial owners of Duos’ Common Stock and Series B Preferred as of the Record Date may attend the Annual Meeting in person. When you arrive at the Annual Meeting, you must present photo identification, such as a driver’s license. Beneficial owners also must provide evidence of stockholdings as of the Record Date, such as a recent brokerage account or bank statement.

Whether or not you expect to attend the Annual Meeting, please submit a proxy to vote your shares either via Internet, phone or by mail. If you choose to submit your proxy by mail, please complete, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope in order to ensure representation of your shares. It will help in our preparations for the meeting if you would check the box on the form of proxy if you plan on attending the Annual Meeting. Your proxy is revocable in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Proxy Statement.

We will be mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials, to each stockholder of record.  

Accordingly, on or about November 9, 2018 we will begin mailing the Proxy Materials to all stockholders of record as of the Record Date.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON, TO ASSURE THAT YOUR SHARES WILL BE REPRESENTED, PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY WITHOUT DELAY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE, WHICH REQUIRES NO ADDITIONAL POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU MAY VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU WISH TO DO SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY SENT IN YOUR PROXY.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.

6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310

Jacksonville, Florida 32216

(904) 652-1601

PROXY STATEMENT

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 19, 2018

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROXY

STATEMENT AND ANNUAL MEETING

General

This Proxy Statement is being furnished to the shareholders of Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”, “Duos”, “we”, “us” or “our”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on December 19, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. EST at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216, and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof (the “Annual Meeting”), for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Accompanying this Proxy Statement is a proxy/voting instruction form (the “Proxy”) for the Annual Meeting, which you may use to indicate your vote as to the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. It is contemplated that this Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of Proxy will be first mailed to the Company’s shareholders on or about November 9, 2018.

The Company will solicit shareholders by mail through its regular employees and will request banks and brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries, to solicit their customers who have stock of the Company registered in the names of such persons and will reimburse them for reasonable, out-of-pocket costs. In addition, the Company may use the service of its officers and directors to solicit proxies, personally or by telephone, without additional compensation.

Why am I being provided with these proxy materials?

We have delivered printed versions of these proxy materials to you by mail in connection with the solicitation by our Board of proxies for the matters to be voted on at our Annual Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.

What do I do if my shares are held in “street name”?

If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other holder of record on how to vote your shares by following their instructions for voting. Please refer to information from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to submit your voting instructions.

What if other matters come up at the Annual Meeting?

At the date this Proxy Statement went to press, we did not know of any matters to be properly presented at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this Proxy Statement. If other matters are properly presented at the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof for consideration, and you are a stockholder of record and have submitted a proxy card, the persons named in your proxy card will have the discretion to vote on those matters for you.

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Voting Securities

Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 1, 2018 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. As of the Record Date, there were approximately 20,951,371 shares of Common Stock of the Company issued and outstanding and entitled to vote representing approximately 396 holders of record, 2,830 shares of Series B Preferred of the Company, issued and outstanding and entitled to vote on an as converted basis with the Common Stock, representing two holders of record up to the beneficial ownership limitation described in the Series B Preferred certificate of designation. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy. Each holder of shares of Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of stock held on the proposals presented in this Proxy Statement. The Company’s Bylaws, as amended, provide that at least a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote, whether present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. The enclosed Proxy reflects the number of shares that you are entitled to vote. Shares of Common Stock may not be voted cumulatively.

Voting of Proxies

All valid proxies received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted. The Board of Directors recommends that you vote by proxy even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You can vote your shares by proxy via Internet or mail. To vote via Internet, go to www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions. To vote by mail, fill out the enclosed Proxy, sign and date it, and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. To vote by phone, dial 1-800-690-6903 and follow the instructions. Voting by proxy will not limit your right to vote at the Annual Meeting if you attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. However, if your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, you must obtain a proxy executed in your favor, from the holder of record to be able to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Revocability of Proxies

All Proxies which are properly completed, signed and returned prior to the Annual Meeting, and which have not been revoked, will be voted in favor of the proposals described in this Proxy Statement unless otherwise directed. A shareholder may revoke his or her Proxy at any time before it is voted either by filing with the Secretary of the Company, at its principal executive offices located at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216, a written notice of revocation or a duly-executed Proxy bearing a later date or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

Voting Procedures and Vote Required

The presence, in person or by proxy, of at least 50% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is necessary to establish a quorum for the transaction of business. Shares represented by proxies which contain an abstention, as well as “broker non-vote” shares (described below) are counted as present for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the Annual Meeting.

All properly executed proxies delivered pursuant to this solicitation and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting as specified in such proxies.

Vote Required for Election of Directors (Proposal No. 1). Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, does not authorize cumulative voting. Delaware law provides that directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. This means that the four (4) candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes at the Annual Meeting will be elected as directors. Only shares that are voted in favor of a particular nominee will be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality. Shares present at the Annual Meeting that are not voted for a particular nominee or shares present by proxy where the shareholder properly withheld authority to vote for such nominee will not be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality.

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Vote Required for Ratification of Auditors (Proposal No. 2). Florida law and our Bylaws, as amended, provide that, on all matters (other than the election of directors and except to the extent otherwise required by our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, or applicable Florida law), the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required for approval. Accordingly, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required to ratify the Board’s selection of Salberg & Company, P.A as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

If you hold shares beneficially in street name and do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes.” Generally, broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owner and instructions are not given. Brokers that have not received voting instructions from their clients cannot vote on their clients’ behalf on “non-routine” proposals. Broker non-votes are counted for the purposes of obtaining a quorum for the Annual Meeting, and in tabulating the voting result for any particular proposal, shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered entitled to vote. The vote on Proposal No. 1 is considered “non-routine,” the vote on Proposal No. 2 is considered “routine”. Abstentions are counted as “shares present” at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum but are not counted in the calculation of the vote.

Votes at the Annual Meeting will be tabulated by one or more inspectors of election appointed by the Chairman of the Board.

Shareholders will not be entitled to dissenter’s rights with respect to any matter to be considered at the Annual Meeting.

Shareholders List

For a period of at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting, a complete list of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at the principal executive offices of the Company located at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 so that shareholders of record may inspect the list only for proper purposes.

Expenses of Solicitation

The Company will pay the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing this proxy-soliciting material, and all costs of solicitation, including certain expenses of brokers and nominees who mail proxy material to their customers or principals.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth, as of the Record Date, information regarding beneficial ownership of our capital stock by:

Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC and generally means that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security, including options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days of the Record Date. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock shown that they beneficially own, subject to community property laws where applicable.

Common Stock subject to stock options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days of the Record Date are deemed to be outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of the person holding these options and the percentage ownership of any group of which the holder is a member but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Duos Technologies Group, Inc., 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216.

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*Denotes less than 1%

(1) Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13D-3(a) of the Exchange Act and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities.

(2) The shares in the table have been listed in accordance with 13-G filings made by the individual investors.

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(3) The percentages in the table have been calculated based on treating as outstanding for a particular person, all shares of our Common Stock outstanding on that date and all shares of our Common Stock issuable to that holder in the event of exercise of outstanding options, warrants, rights or conversion privileges owned by that person at that date which are exercisable within 60 days of that date. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons listed below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our Common Stock owned by them, except to the extent that power may be shared with a spouse.

(4) To the best of our knowledge, the organization who hold voting and dispositive control over the shares beneficially owned by First Eagle Investment Management is 21 April Fund, LLC.

(5) Mr. Justin Keener beneficially holds 9.93% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock In addition, Mr. Keener also holds (i) warrants to purchase 6,210,526 shares of Common Stock and (ii) 1,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, convertible into 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock, however, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock into which the warrants are exercisable and which Mr. Keener has the right to acquire beneficial ownership, and the number of shares of Common Stock into which the Preferred Stock is convertible and which Mr. Keener has the right to acquire beneficial ownership, is limited to the number of shares of Common Stock that, together with all other shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by Mr. Keener, does not exceed 9.99% of the total outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(6) Mr. Orin Hirschman is the managing member of AIGH LP’s General Partner and president of AIGH LLC. These 1,693,779 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Hirschman excludes warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares of common stock not exercisable because the reporting person’s beneficial ownership is above 4.99%.

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PROPOSAL NO. 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Company’s Board of Directors is currently comprised of four authorized directors. A total of four directors will be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders to be held in 2019, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Of the Board members whose term expires at the Annual Meeting, Gianni B. Arcaini, Adrian G. Goldfarb, Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder and Blair M. Fonda are all standing for reelection. The persons named as “Proxies” in the enclosed Proxy will vote the shares represented by all valid returned proxies in accordance with the specifications of the shareholders returning such proxies. If no choice has been specified by a shareholder, the shares will be voted FOR the nominees. If at the time of the Annual Meeting any of the nominees named below should be unable or unwilling to serve, which event is not expected to occur, the discretionary authority provided in the Proxy will be exercised to vote for such substitute nominee or nominees, if any, as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. If a quorum is present and voting, the nominees for directors receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the vote.

NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTOR

Nominees

The persons nominated as directors are as follows:

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The following sets forth certain information about each of the director nominees:

Gianni B. Arcaini, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

Mr. Arcaini, has been the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President since April 1, 2015, and held the same positions with our subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc. since 2002. Prior to his involvement with Environmental Capital Holdings, Inc., a predecessor of the Company, Mr. Arcaini spent over 10 years in various executive capacities with Robex International, a joint venture of Royal Volker Stevin, Royal Bijenkorf and the Westland Utrecht Bank, ultimately acquiring the Robex International in a management buyout after having expanded its operations into the United States.

Mr. Arcaini completed his early education at a Jesuit Boarding school in Austria and Germany, and graduated from a state business school in Frankfurt, Germany. He is fluent in German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and English.

The Board believes Mr. Arcaini has significant experience in the Company’s industry, a deep knowledge of our business and customers and contributes a perspective based on his many years of involvement with our company which will be of great value to the Company as it grows. Mr. Arcaini is also the visionary leader of the Company and is personally involved in creating the initial design of our technologies prior to implementation by our research and development teams.

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Adrian G. Goldfarb, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Director

Mr. Goldfarb has served as a Director since April 2010. Effective July 1, 2012, he was appointed as President and Chief Financial Officer of Information Systems Associates, Inc., which merged with Duos Technologies, Inc in April 2015 upon which he agreed to continue serving the merged company, Duos Technologies Group, Inc., as Chief Financial Officer and Director. Mr. Goldfarb also currently serves as a non-Executive Chairman of Gelstat Corporation, a public company engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of homeopathic and natural supplements. Mr. Goldfarb is a 35-year technology industry veteran including more than 25 years in information technology. Mr. Goldfarb graduated “cum laude” with a business degree specializing in Finance from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ.

The Board believes Mr. Goldfarb’s significant experience in financial stewardship of small public companies will be of great value to the Company as it grows.

Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder, Director

Mr. Mulder was appointed as a Director on April 1, 2015 and serves as both the Chairman of the Compensation Committee and member of the Audit Committee. From June 2006 to April 2015, he served as a Director with our subsidiary Duos Inc. He is an independent consultant (M&A / Corporate Finance) and investor in various companies in the USA and Europe, including duostech. Between 2001 and 2013, Mr. Mulder served as Executive Chairman of the Board of LBI International N.V. and from 2009 until 2014 as non-executive member of the board of W.P. Stewart in New York. He also serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee of Nethave N.V. (ICT Technology), Berghave N.V. (Turnaround/reshaping funding) and the Pension Fund of Radio Holland N.V. In 1993, Mr. Mulder was co-founder and became Chairman and Managing Director of Greenfield Capital Partners N.V., an independent private equity and corporate finance group headquartered in The Netherlands. From 1981 to 1993, he held positions of Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer of Transmark Holding B.V. and Managing Director of Pon Holdings B.V. and subsequently was a non-executive board member of companies such as HAL Investments N.V. (the holding company of Holland America Line), Pon Holdings B.V., and Transmark Holding B.V., Meulenhoff en Co N.V., SAIT Radio Holland SA, Lacis Communication N.V., Meijn Processing Industrie B.V., and CapCorp Investments N.V.

Mr. Mulder obtained his PMD in 1973 from the Harvard Business School, with special emphasis on Marketing and Corporate Strategy.

The Board believes Mr. Mulder’s extensive background in international business will allow him to assist the Company as it grows. Mr. Mulder serves as a liaison with the Company’s European based shareholders.

Blair M. Fonda, Director

Mr. Fonda was appointed as a Director on May 3, 2017 and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. Since 2013, Mr. Blair Fonda has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Emergent Financial Partners (“EFP”). EFP is an accounting and consulting services firm which offers financial consulting services to businesses and organizations throughout the United States and the Caribbean Islands. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Fonda was contracted through EFP to serve as the outside Chief Financial Officer of Mountainstar Capital Engagement, a private equity and commercial real estate company. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Fonda served as the Vice President and Controller of the Hospitality Division of Gate Petroleum, an owner and operator of convenience stores, resorts, construction and real estate operations throughout the United States. Mr. Fonda has previously served as Controller for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Mr. Fonda is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The Board believes that Mr. Fonda’s education and background qualify him as a financial expert. He has extensive and directly applicable accounting experience qualifying him to serve as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

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Required Vote

Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, does not authorize cumulative voting. Florida law provides that directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. This means that the four (4) candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes at the Annual Meeting will be elected as directors. Only shares that are voted in favor of a particular nominee will be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality. Shares present at the Annual Meeting that are not voted for a particular nominee or shares present by proxy where the shareholder properly withheld authority to vote for such nominee will not be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality.

At the Annual Meeting a vote will be taken on a proposal to approve the election of the four (4) director nominees.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF (I) GIANNI B. ARCAINI, (II) ADRIAN G. GOLDFARB, (III) ALFRED J. (FRED) MULDER, AND (IV) BLAIR M. FONDA, AS DIRECTORS.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors

The Board oversees our business affairs and monitors the performance of our management. In accordance with our corporate governance principles, the Board does not involve itself in day-to-day operations. The directors keep themselves informed through discussions with the Chief Executive Officer, other key executives, and by reading the reports and other materials sent to them and by participating in Board and committee meetings. Our directors hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal, or if for some other reason they are unable to serve in the capacity of director.

Board Composition and Director Independence

Our board of directors currently consists of four members: Mr. Gianni B. Arcaini, Mr. Adrian G. Goldfarb, Mr. Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder and Mr. Blair M. Fonda. The directors will serve until our next annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Company defines “independent” as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ listing standards.

In making the determination of whether a member of the board is independent, our board considers, among other things, transactions and relationships between each director and his immediate family and the Company, including those reported under the caption “Related Party Transactions”. The purpose of this review is to determine whether any such relationships or transactions are material and, therefore, inconsistent with a determination that the directors are independent. Based on such review and its understanding of such relationships and transactions, our board affirmatively determined that Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder and Blair M. Fonda are both qualified as independent and neither have any material relationship with us that might interfere with his exercise of independent judgment.

Board Meetings and Attendance

The Board held 5 in person meetings in 2017. All Board actions, not taken at a meeting, were taken via a unanimous written consent as permitted by Florida Law.

Stockholder Communications with the Board

Shareholders wishing to communicate with the Board, the non-management directors, or with an individual Board member may do so by writing to the Board, to the non-management directors, or to the particular Board member, and mailing the correspondence to: c/oBlair Fonda, 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216. The envelope should indicate that it contains a shareholder communication. All such shareholder communications will be forwarded to the director or directors to whom the communications are addressed.

Board Committees

Our Board of Directors has three (3) standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each committee has a charter, which is available on our website at http://www.duostechnologies.com/ Information contained on our website is not incorporated herein by reference. Each of the board committees has the composition and responsibilities described below. The members of these committees are:

Current Committee Composition

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* Denotes Chairman of committee.

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Committee Composition after the Annual Meeting^†

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^† Assumes the election of Blair M. Fonda and Alfred (Fred) J. Mulder, who have each been appointed to committees by resolution of the Board effective upon their election to the Board.

* Denotes Chairman of committee subject to election to the Board at the Annual Meeting.

Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee was established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Blair M. Fonda is a member of the Audit Committee and serves as its Chairman. Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder is a member of the Audit Committee. Both Mr. Fonda and Mr. Mulder are “independent” within the meaning of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. Our board has determined Mr. Fonda is an “audit committee financial expert”, as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K.

The Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and oversee the audit of our financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The specific functions of this Committee include, but are not limited to:

In 2017, Blair M. Fonda, the current Chairman of the Company’s Audit Committee, held approximately one telephonic meeting with the Company’s Auditors. The Company’s board of directors were involved in reviewing the Company’s financial statements and auditor’s comments as well.

Compensation Committee

Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder is a member of the Compensation Committee and serves as Chairman. Mr. Mulder is “independent” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. Mr. Mulder qualifies as a “non-employee director” under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act. Our Compensation Committee assists the board of directors in the discharge of its responsibilities relating to the compensation of the board of directors and our executive officers. Mr. Fonda also serves as a member of the Compensation Committee.

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The Committee’s compensation-related responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

We do not currently have a standing Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board intends to form a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in the near future. Each such member of the committee will be “independent” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. The purpose of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be to recommend to the board nominees for election as directors and persons to be elected to fill any vacancies on the board, develop and recommend a set of corporate governance principles and oversee the performance of the Board.

It is anticipated that the Committee’s responsibilities include:

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our directors, director candidates or executive officers.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

To the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten (10) years:

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Except as set forth in our discussion below in “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” none of our directors or executive officers has been involved in any transactions with us or any of our directors, executive officers, affiliates or associates which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Commission.

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors, executive officers and persons who beneficially own 10% or more of a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act to file reports of beneficial ownership and changes in beneficial ownership with the SEC. Directors, executive officers and greater than 10% stockholders are required by the rules and regulations of the SEC to furnish the Company with copies of all reports filed by them in compliance with Section 16(a).

Based solely on our review of certain reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the reports required to be filed with respect to transactions in our Common Stock during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, were timely.

Code of Ethics

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for adherence by its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to ensure honest and ethical conduct; full, fair and proper disclosure of financial information in the Company’s periodic reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Any person may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by mailing a request to the Company at the address appearing on the front page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Director Compensation

Each independent director is entitled to receive $15,000 per annum for service on our Board in 2017. In addition, Chairmen of committees are awarded an additional $5,000 per annum in compensation in connection with their service in such capacity.

The following table summarizes data concerning the compensation of our non-employee directors for the year ended December 31, 2017.

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(1) Blair Fonda was appointed to the board on May 3, 2017 and currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

(2) John E. Giles was appointed to the board on May 3, 2017. He resigned from his positions on November 28, 2017 and was not awarded any compensation due to serving less than one full year.  

(3) Joseph Glodek resigned as a director on January 19, 2017.

(4) Fred Mulder serves as a director and was appointed as Chairman of the Compensation Committee upon the resignation of John Giles.

Executive Compensation

The compensation provided to our “named executive officers” for 2017 and 2016 is set forth in detail in the Summary Compensation Table and other tables and the accompanying footnotes and narrative that follow this section. This section explains our executive compensation philosophy, objectives and design, our compensation-setting process, our executive compensation program components and the decisions made for compensation in respect of 2016 for each of our named executive officers.

Compensation-Setting Process/Role of Our Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee has responsibility for the Company’s compensation practices with appropriate approval and general oversight from the Board. This responsibility includes the determination of compensation levels and awards provided to the named executive officers. The Compensation Committee provides a recommendation for the performance review and any compensation adjustments to the Board for approval. Grants of equity-based compensation are approved by the Compensation Committee in accordance with the Company’s stock incentive and award plan established by the Compensation Committee.

Base Salary

We provide base salary as a fixed source of compensation for our executive officers, allowing them a degree of certainty when having a meaningful portion of their compensation “at risk” in the form of equity awards covering the shares of a Company for whose shares there has been limited liquidity to date. The Board recognizes the importance of base salaries as an element of compensation that helps to attract highly qualified executive talent.

Base salaries for our executive officers were established primarily based on individual negotiations with the executive officers when they joined us and reflect the scope of their anticipated responsibilities, the individual experience they bring, the Board members’ experiences and knowledge in compensating similarly situated individuals at other companies, our then-current cash constraints and a general sense of internal pay equity among our executive officers and key personnel.

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The Compensation Committee does not apply specific formulas in determining base salary increases. Actual base salaries may differ from the competitive market rates target as a result of various other factors including relative depth of experience, prior individual performance and expected future contributions, internal pay equity considerations within our Company and the degree of difficulty in replacing the individual.

Summary Compensation Table

The compensation provided to our “named executive officers” for 2017 and 2016 is set forth in detail in the Summary Compensation Table and other tables and the accompanying footnotes and narrative that follow this section. This section explains our executive compensation philosophy, objectives and design, our compensation-setting process, our executive compensation program components and the decisions made for compensation in respect of 2016 for each of our named executive officers.

Our named executive officers who appear in the 2017 Summary Compensation Table are:

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the total compensation received for services rendered in all capacities to our Company for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, which was awarded to, earned by, or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (the “Named Executive Officers”).

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Employment Agreement with Gianni B. Arcaini

Prior to the effectiveness of the Merger, DTI and Gianni B. Arcaini entered into an employment agreement (the “Arcaini Employment Agreement”) dated May 1, 2003, as subsequently amended on February 10, 2004 and February 12, 2007, pursuant to which Mr. Arcaini served as Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of DTI. The Arcaini Employment Agreement has continued in effect following the Merger. Under the agreement, Mr. Arcaini is paid an annual salary of $226,600 and a car allowance of $18,000 per annum. In addition, as incentive-based compensation, Mr. Arcaini is entitled to 1% of annual gross revenues of DTI. However, in order to conserve cash flow, since January 2008, Mr. Arcaini has been deferring a part of his compensation and, as of December 31, 2017, such deferred amount including accrued interest totaled an aggregate of $28,669 after foregoing $700,543 in deferred compensation. The Arcaini Employment Agreement had an initial term that extended through April 30, 2006, subject to renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gives notice of that party’s election to not renew to the other at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Arcaini Employment Agreement remains in effect through December 31, 2017. The Arcaini Employment Agreement contains certain provisions for early termination, which may result in a severance payment equal to one year of base salary then in effect. It is anticipated that Mr. Arcaini’s compensation terms will be revisited in the future by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board.

Potential Payments upon Change of Control or Termination following a Change of Control

Our employment agreement with Mr. Arcaini, our Chief Executive Officer, provides incremental compensation in the event of termination, as described herein. Generally, we currently do not provide any severance specifically upon a change in control nor do we provide for accelerated vesting upon change in control.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2017

There were no outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2017.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

On August 1, 2012 the Company entered into independent contractor master services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) with Luceon, LLC, a Florida company, owned by our Chief Technology Officer, David Ponevac. The Services Agreement provides that Luceon will provide support services including management, coordination or software development services and related services to Duos from time to time.

On January 24, 2016, the wife of the CEO loaned the Company an additional $20,000 at an annual percentage rate of 8% and repayable by the Company when sufficient funds are available. The Company made payment in full on November 27, 2017. The total principal due at December 31, 2017 and 2016 was zero and $56,500, respectively.

On January 28, 2016, the CFO loaned the Company $30,000, accruing interest at 8% per annum which is repayable by the Company when sufficient funds are available. On November 24, the Company and CFO agreed to convert $30,000 plus the accrued interest balance of $4,020 for 34,020 shares of Common Stock. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the outstanding loan balance was zero and $31,973, respectively.

On July 19, 2016, the Company received a $60,000 loan less fees of $75 for a related party loan with proceeds of $59,925 from the Company’s CEO. The promissory note carries an annual interest rate of 7.99% with a monthly installment payment of $1,052 through July 19, 2022. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the outstanding balance was $48,215 and $56,613, respectively.

Effective November 24, 2017, with the closing of the Company’s private placement offering, (i) Gianni B. Arcaini, the Chief Executive Officer, converted $700,543 of accrued salary into 700,543 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a $1.00 per share and 700,543 warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company at an exercise price of $1.00 per share, expiring five years from the Initial Grant Date (as defined in the warrant), (ii) Adrian G. Goldfarb, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, converted $34,020 of liabilities into 34,020 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a $1.00 per share and 34,020 warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company at an exercise price of $1.00 per share, expiring five years from the Initial Grant Date.

Policy on Future Related Party Transactions

The Company requires that any related party transactions must be approved by a majority of the Company’s independent directors.

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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

Recommendations of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee of the Board is currently comprised of Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder and Blair M. Fonda, each of whom the Board has determined to be independent. This report shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) by virtue of any general statement in such filing incorporating the Annual Report by reference, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates the information contained in this section by reference and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the disclosure regarding Executive Compensation contained in this proxy statement for the Annual Meeting. Based on the review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that such disclosure be included in this proxy statement.

This Compensation Report has been furnished by the Compensation Committee of the Board.

Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder, Chairman

Blair M. Fonda

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

The following Report of the Audit Committee (the “Audit Report”) does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this Audit Report by reference therein.

Role of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and oversee the audit of our financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The specific functions of this Committee include, but are not limited to:

With respect to the Company’s outside auditors, the Audit Committee, among other things, discussed with Salberg & Company, P.A. matters relating to its independence, including the disclosures made to the Audit Committee as required by the Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (Independence Discussions with Audit Committees).

Recommendations of the Audit Committee. In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the Board approve the inclusion of the Company’s audited financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, for filing with the SEC.

This report has been furnished by the Audit Committee of the Board.

Blair M. Fonda, Chairman

Alfred J. (Fred) Mulder

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PROPOSAL NO. 2

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT

OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC

ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board has appointed Salberg & Company, P.A. (“Salberg”), as our independent registered public accounting firm to examine the consolidated financial statements of the Company for fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. The Board seeks an indication from shareholders of their approval or disapproval of the appointment.

Salberg will audit our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. We anticipate that a representative of Salberg will be present by telephone at the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 were audited by Salberg.

In the event shareholders fail to ratify the appointment of Salberg, the Board of Directors will reconsider this appointment. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if the Board of Directors determines that such a change would be in the interests of the Company and its shareholders.

The following table presents for each of the last two fiscal years the aggregate fees billed in connection with the audits of our financial statements and other professional services rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm Salberg & Company, P.A.

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(1)  Audit Fees. These are fees for professional services for the audit of our annual financial statements, and for the review of the financial statements included in our filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and for services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

(2)  Audit-Related Fees. These are fees for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the registrant’s financial statements.

(3)  Tax Fees. These are fees for professional services rendered by the principal accountant with respect to tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning.

(4)  All Other Fees. These are fees for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported above.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Company’s Audit Committee has adopted policies and procedures that shall require the pre-approval by the Audit Committee of all fees paid to, and all services performed by, the Company’s independent accounting firms. At the beginning of each year, the Audit Committee shall approve the proposed services, including the nature, type and scope of services contemplated and the related fees, to be rendered by these firms during the year. In addition, Audit Committee pre-approval is also required for those engagements that may arise during the course of the year that are outside the scope of the initial services and fees pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Company’s Common Stock represented and voting at the Annual Meeting either in person or by proxy will be required for approval of this proposal. Neither abstentions nor broker non-votes shall have any effect on the outcome of this vote.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF SALBERG AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.

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FUTURE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

The Board has not yet determined the date on which the next Annual Meeting of shareholders will be held. Shareholders may submit proposals on matters appropriate for shareholder action at annual meetings in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Company’s Bylaws. Any proposal which an eligible shareholder desires to have included in our proxy statement and presented at the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be included in our proxy statement and related proxy card if it is received by us a reasonable time before we begin to print and send our proxy materials and if it complies with Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding inclusion of proposals in proxy statements. In order to avoid controversy as to the date on which we receive a proposal, it is suggested that any shareholder who wishes to submit a proposal submit such proposal by certified mail, return receipt requested. Notices should be directed to: Duos Technology Group, Inc., at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216, Attention: Secretary.

Other deadlines apply to the submission of shareholder proposals for the next Annual Meeting that are not required to be included in our proxy statement under Securities and Exchange Commission rules. With respect to these shareholder proposals for the next Annual Meeting, a shareholder’s notice must be received by us a reasonable time before we begin to print and send our proxy materials. The form of proxy distributed by the Board of Directors for such meeting will confer discretionary authority to vote on any such proposal not received by such date. If any such proposal is received by such date, the proxy statement for the meeting will provide advice on the nature of the matter and how we intend to exercise our discretion to vote on each such matter if it is presented at that meeting.

AVAILABILITY OF ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K AND HOUSEHOLDING

A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC is available upon written request and without charge to shareholders by writing to the Company at Duos Technology Group, Inc., at 6622 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 or by calling telephone number (904) 652-1616.

In certain cases, only one Proxy Statement may be delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless the Company has received contrary instructions from one or more of the shareholders at that address. The Company will undertake to deliver promptly upon written or oral request a separate copy of the Proxy Statement, as applicable, to a shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of such documents was delivered. Such request should also be directed to Chief Executive Officer, Duos Technology Group, Inc., at the address or telephone number indicated in the previous paragraph. In addition, shareholders sharing an address can request delivery of a single copy of Proxy Statements if they are receiving multiple copies of Proxy Statements by directing such request to the same mailing address.

OTHER BUSINESS

We have not received notice of and do not expect any matters to be presented for vote at the Annual Meeting, other than the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. If you grant a proxy, the person named as proxy holder, Gianni B. Arcaini, or their nominees or substitutes, will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting. If for any unforeseen reason, any of our nominees are not available as a candidate for director, the proxy holder will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates nominated by our Board.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in accordance therewith, we file periodic reports, documents and other information with the SEC relating to our business, financial statements and other matters. Such reports and other information may be inspected and are available for copying at the offices of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 or may be accessed at www.sec.gov. Information regarding the operation of the public reference rooms may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You are encouraged to review our Annual Report on Form 10-K, together with any subsequent information we filed or will file with the SEC and other publicly available information.

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OTHER MATTERS

We have not received notice of and do not expect any matters to be presented for vote at the Annual Meeting, other than the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. If you grant a proxy, the person named as proxy holder, Gianni Arcaini, or their nominees or substitutes, will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting. If for any unforeseen reason, any of our nominees are not available as a candidate for director, the proxy holder will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates nominated by our Board.

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It is important that the proxies be returned promptly and that your shares be represented. Stockholders are urged to mark, date, execute and promptly return the accompanying proxy card.

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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:

The Notice and Proxy Statement and Form 10-K are available at www.proxyvote.com