COMMUTER ACFT MAKES EMER LNDG DUE TO RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED.

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ON 2 MI FINAL AT OUR DEST; WE SELECTED GEAR DOWN. THE GEAR INDICATION WAS 3 GREEN AND 1 RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR AND THE SAME LIGHT CONFIGN RESULTED -- 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND 1 RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT. THE CAPT SUGGESTED THAT WE GAR AND TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. I INITIATED THE GAR AND ATC CLRED US TO 2000 FT. AFTER COMPLETING THE GAR CHKLIST; THE CAPT CONSULTED WITH STATION PERSONNEL; MAINT THROUGH COMPANY RADIO. WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT AND TURNED W FOR A DOWNWIND AND GIVEN PLT'S DISCRETION TO 5000 FT. I TOLD ATC THAT WE HAD A GEAR INDICATION PROBLEM AND THAT WE WOULD STAY AT 6000 FT AND FLY SLOW ON OUR ASSIGNED WESTERLY HDG FOR A WHILE IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE CAPT'S CONSULTATION WITH STATION MAINT; IT WAS NOT CLR WHETHER OUR NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE CAPT FLEW THE ACFT AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CHK OUR ACFT FLT MANUAL TO FIND ANYTHING THAT COULD HELP US DETERMINE THE STATUS OF OUR NOSE GEAR. I FOUND NOTHING IN THE ACFT FLT MANUAL THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THIS CONDITION. ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT ON COMPANY FREQ SUGGESTED WE CONTACT MAINT CTL AT HEADQUARTERS ON AIRLINE FREQ. THEY GAVE US THE APPROPRIATE FREQ FOR OUR AREA AND THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT CTL. THE CAPT; STILL FLYING; OBTAINED APPROVAL FROM ATC TO PROCEED VFR TO THE NW SO AS NOT TO MISS ANY ATC INSTRUCTIONS WHILE DEALING WITH OUR PROBLEM. MAINT CTL TOLD US TO CYCLE THE GEAR AGAIN AND TELL THEM WHAT RESULTED. WE DID SO AND 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND 1 RED NOSE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. MAINT CTL SAID THAT THE RED NOSE LIGHT WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A STUCK OR BAD SWITCH AND THAT OUR NOSE GEAR WAS PROBABLY DOWN AND LOCKED. THEY SAID THAT THE GREEN NOSE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE UNLESS THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. WE CONCURRED AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO OUR DEST ARPT AND LAND. I TOOK THE CTLS OF THE ACFT AGAIN AND THE CAPT REVIEWED THE CHKLISTS; 'LNDG WITH NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN AND LOCKED;' AND 'EMER EVAC.' WE DISCUSSED LNDG TECHNIQUE GIVEN OUR LESS THAN TOTAL CERTAINTY THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. WE AGREED ON A 20 DEG FLAP LNDG AND A LNDG SPD HIGHER THAN NORMAL TO ALLOW TIME TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR SLOWLY TO THE RWY. WE WERE CLRED BY ATC TO PROCEED TO THE ARPT. THE CAPT ENLISTED THE HELP OF AN AIRLINES JUMPSEATER TO OPERATE THE EMER EXIT ON THE R SIDE OF THE CABIN IF EMER EVAC BECAME NECESSARY. THE CAPT THEN BRIEFED THE PAX ABOUT OUR SITUATION. THE CAPT REQUESTED OF ATC THAT THE CRASH AND RESCUE VEHICLES BE STANDING BY DURING THE LNDG. I BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT FROM 5500 FT TOWARDS THE ARPT. ATC CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH. ON FINAL WE REQUESTED THAT THE TWR CONFIRM THAT OUR TAXI LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE TAXI LIGHT WILL ONLY ILLUMINATE IF THE NOSE GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED. WE TURNED OFF THE LNDG LIGHTS AND TURNED ON THE TAXI LIGHT. THE TWR CONFIRMED THEY SAW 1 LIGHT. SELECTION OF FLAPS BEYOND 10 DEGS CAUSED THE GEAR WARNING HORN TO SOUND. WE DECIDED TO AVOID THE DISTR OF THE UNCANCELABLE HORN AND LAND WITH FLAPS 10 DEGS. THE APCH WAS NORMAL. THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED AT APPROX 115 KTS. I LOWERED THE NOSE GENTLY UNTIL THE NOSE GEAR WAS FELT SOFTLY TOUCHING THE RWY. THE TAXI AND PARKING WAS ROUTINE.